2015 Prince Edward Island general election

Prince Edward Island general election, 2015
All 27 seats in the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island; 14 seats needed for a majority
	Opinion polls
	Popular vote by riding. As this is an FPTP election, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each riding.
Premier before election; Wade MacLauchlan; Liberal	Premier-designate ; Wade MacLauchlan; Liberal

The 65th Prince Edward Island general election was held May 4, 2015 to elect members of the 65th General Assembly of Prince Edward Island.^[1] Under amendments passed by the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island in 2008, Prince Edward Island elections are usually held on the first Monday of October in the fourth calendar year, unless it is dissolved earlier by the Lieutenant Governor of Prince Edward Island due to a motion of no confidence. The current government had hinted that an election would be held "before Mother's Day" 2015, and such a dissolution would avoid any conflicts with the next federal election, expected to be held in October 2015.

The governing Liberals were elected to a third consecutive majority government under new leader Wade MacLauchlan, while the Progressive Conservatives made slight gains despite party leader Rob Lantz failing to win election in Charlottetown-Brighton. The Green Party, meanwhile, won its first seat in the legislature, with leader Peter Bevan-Baker elected in Kellys Cross-Cumberland.^[2] The New Democratic Party was shut out.

Standings

**Summary of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island election results**
Party		Party leader	Candidates	Seats				Popular vote
Party		Party leader	Candidates	2011	Dissol.	2015	Change	#	%	Change
	Liberal	Wade MacLauchlan	27	22	20	18	-4	33,481	40.83%	-10.55%
	Progressive Conservative	Rob Lantz	27	5	3	8	+3	30,663	37.39%	-2.77%
	Green	Peter Bevan-Baker	24	0	0	1	+1	8,857	10.81%	+6.45%
	New Democratic	Michael Redmond	27	0	0	0		8,997	10.97%	+7.81%
	Independent			0	1	0
	Vacant				3	-	-
Total			105	27	27	27		81,998

Results by region

Party Name			Cardigan	Malpeque	Charlottetown	Egmont	Total
	Liberal	Seats:	2	2	7	7	18
	Liberal	Popular Vote:	38.16%	36.33%	40.69%	49.00%	40.83%
	Progressive Conservative	Seats:	5	3	0	0	8
	Progressive Conservative	Popular Vote:	44.95%	38.21%	31.08%	34.97%	37.39%
	Green	Seats:	0	1	0	0	1
	Green	Popular Vote:	5.45%	18.76%	12.41%	6.01%	10.81%
Total seats:			7	6	7	7	27
Parties that won no seats:
	NDP	Vote:	2,404	1,430	3,261	1,902	8,997
	NDP	Popular Vote:	11.44%	6.69%	15.82%	10.01%	10.98%

Timeline

2011

October 3: The Prince Edward Island Liberal Party under Robert Ghiz is re-elected with a majority government in the 64th Prince Edward Island general election.

2012

October 13: The New Democratic Party elects Michael Redmond as party leader.^[3]
November 3: The Green Party elects Peter Bevan-Baker as party leader^[4]
December 5: Progressive Conservative leader Olive Crane announces her intention to resign as party leader in January 2013 after party members narrowly vote against having a leadership review. Crane further announces that she will stay on as Leader of the Opposition.^[5]

2013

January 30: Olive Crane resigns as Leader of the Opposition. The Progressive Conservative caucus names Tignish-Palmer Road MLA Hal Perry, a candidate for the interim leadership, as Leader of the Opposition.^[6]^[7]
January 31: Olive Crane resigns as Progressive Conservative leader. Georgetown-St. Peters MLA Steven Myers is elected interim PC leader over Leader of the Opposition and Tignish-Palmer Road MLA Hal Perry. Perry initially announces that he will remain Leader of the Opposition, despite Myers' urging that the party leader should hold both positions.^[8]
February 11: Tignish-Palmer Road MLA Hal Perry steps down as Leader of the Opposition, citing internal divisions within the Progressive Conservative Party.^[9] Interim PC leader and Georgetown-St. Peters MLA Steven Myers is subsequently named Leader of the Opposition.
October 3: In what is believed to be the first instance of a sitting MLA crossing the floor, Tignish-Palmer Road MLA Hal Perry leaves the Progressive Conservatives to join the Liberals, citing his concerns with the federal Conservative governments changes to employment insurance.^[10]
October 4: Morell-Mermaid MLA and former Progressive Conservative leader Olive Crane is kicked out of the party. Crane subsequently announces she will sit as an independent.^[11]

2014

November 13: Robert Ghiz announces he will be resigning as Premier in early 2015 as soon as the Prince Edward Island Liberal Party elects a new leader.^[12]

2015

February 21: The Prince Edward Island Liberal Party held its leadership election. As the sole candidate nominated, Wade MacLauchlan was acclaimed the new leader and incoming premier.^[13]
February 23: Robert Ghiz resigns as Premier. Wade MacLauchlan is appointed and sworn in as the new Premier.^[14] Later that day, Ghiz, Wes Sheridan, and Robert Vessey resign as MLAs, triggering potential by-elections in their former seats (Charlottetown-Brighton, Kensington-Malpeque, and York-Oyster Bed, respectively).^[15]
February 28: At the party's leadership election, Rob Lantz is elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island.^[16]
April 6: After being nominated as the Liberal candidate for York-Oyster Bed, Premier Wade MacLauchlin dropped the writ, calling for an election on May 4, 2015.
April 10: The Island Party drops out of the campaign, due to not having enough candidates ^[17]
April 27: Party leaders' first televised debate, held in Summerside.^[18]
April 30: A second televised debate was held for the party leaders, in Charlottetown.^[19]
May 4: Election results - The Liberals win a third consecutive majority government, with a reduced number of 18 seats. The Progressive Conservatives remain as the official opposition, with an increase to 8 seats. The Greens make Prince Edward Island political history, winning their first seat.

Opinion polls

Polling Firm	Last date of polling	Link	Liberal	PC	Green	NDP	Island	Other
Corporate Research Associates	April 23, 2015	HTML	44	35	6	15
Abingdon Research	April 20, 2015	PDF	43	27	12	18
Corporate Research Associates	February 28, 2015	PDF	58	26	4	12		0
Corporate Research Associates	November 25, 2014	PDF	50	23	11	15	0	0
Corporate Research Associates	September 1, 2014	PDF	48	28	7	16	0	0
Corporate Research Associates	May 22, 2014	PDF	53	23	3	21	0	0
Corporate Research Associates	February 27, 2014	PDF	53	17	7	22	0	1
Corporate Research Associates	November 27, 2013	PDF	49	17	7	26	0	1
Corporate Research Associates	August 28, 2013	PDF	42	23	3	32	0	0
Corporate Research Associates	May 28, 2013	PDF	52	22	5	21	0	1
Corporate Research Associates	March 2, 2013	PDF	51	16	7	26	0	0
Corporate Research Associates	December 1, 2012	PDF	45	28	5	22	0	0
Corporate Research Associates	August 31, 2012	PDF	42	32	8	18	0	0
Corporate Research Associates	June 4, 2012	PDF	47	26	8	18	1	1
Corporate Research Associates	February 26, 2012	PDF	50	33	5	11	0	0
Corporate Research Associates	November 29, 2011	PDF	53	34	4	9	0	0
2011 election	October 3, 2011		51.38	40.16	4.36	3.16	0.91	0.02

Candidates

Bold designates member of cabinet or Leader of the Party
Italics in the Candidate section designates a person seeking the party nomination

Cardigan

This riding vote count resulted in a tie between McIsaac and McInnis. As a result, a coin toss was held, which determined McIsaac, the Liberal candidate, as the winner.^[20]

Malpeque

Template:Canadian politics/candlist header 4plus |- |bgcolor="whitesmoke"|19. Borden-Kinkora | |Ramona Roberts
1,154 |Template:Canadian politics/party colours/PC| |Jamie Fox
1,597 | |Ranald MacFarlane
511 | |Aleida Tweten
129 | | |Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal| |George Webster† |- |bgcolor="whitesmoke"|16. Cornwall-Meadowbank |Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal| |Heath MacDonald
1,444 | |Michael Drake
1,056 | |Rosalyn Ridlington Abbott
377 | |Jennifer Coughlin
243 | | |Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal| |Ron MacKinley† |- |bgcolor="whitesmoke"|17. Kellys Cross-Cumberland | |Valerie Docherty
1,046 | |Randy Robar
609 |bgcolor="#99C955"| |Peter Bevan-Baker
2,077 | |Jesse Cousins
58 | | |Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal| |Valerie Docherty |- |bgcolor="whitesmoke"|20. Kensington-Malpeque | |Paul Montgomery
1,033 |Template:Canadian politics/party colours/PC| |Matthew MacKay
1,984 | |Lynne Lund
374 | |Joseph Larkin
264 | | |bgcolor="#FFFFFF"| |Vacant |- |bgcolor="whitesmoke"|18. Rustico-Emerald | |Bertha Campbell
1,152 |Template:Canadian politics/party colours/PC| |Brad Trivers
1,585 | |Marianne Janowicz
325 | |Leah Jane Hayward
294 | | |Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal| |Carolyn Bertram† |- |bgcolor="whitesmoke"|9. York-Oyster Bed |Template:Canadian politics/party colours/Liberal| |Wade MacLauchlan
1,938 | |Jim Carragher
1,338 | |Thane Bernard
347 | |Gordon Gay
442 | | |bgcolor="#FFFFFF"| |Vacant |}

Charlottetown

Egmont

References

^ PEI election called for May 4, 2015
^ "Liberals win majority in P.E.I. election". CBC News. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
^ "P.E.I. NDP elect Mike Redmond as party leader". CBC News, October 13, 2012.
^ "Bevan-Baker acclaimed as P.E.I. Green Party leader". Charlottetown: The Guardian. November 3, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
^ "P.E.I. PC Leader Olive Crane resigns". CBC News. December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
^ "Olive Crane resigns as P.E.I. Opposition leader". CBC News. January 30, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
^ "Tories name new P.E.I. Opposition leader". CBC News. January 30, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
^ "MLA Steven Myers named interim PC leader". CBC News. January 31, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
^ "Perry to step down as Opposition leader". CBC News. February 11, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
^ Wright, Teresa (October 3, 2013). "Hal Perry crossing floor to join Liberals". The Guardian. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
^ "Olive Crane kicked out of PC caucus". The Journal Pioneer. October 4, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2014.
^ "P.E.I.-Liberals-and-PCs-both-looking-for-leaders".
^ Wade MacLauchlan confirmed as P.E.I. Liberal leader
^ "Experienced faces make up Wade MacLauchlan cabinet". CBC News. February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
^ Legislative Assembly of PEI: Members
^ Rob Lantz celebrates Progressive Conservative leadership victory
^ Island Party sitting out election
^ PEI Votes 2015: Leaders' Debate
^ Leaders met in 2nd TV debate
^ Liberal Alan McIsaac wins seat in coin toss after recount tie. CBC News, May 19, 2015.

External links

P.E.I. Votes 2015: Tracking the candidates

[1] PEI election called for May 4, 2015

[2] "Liberals win majority in P.E.I. election". CBC News. May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.

[leader-3] "P.E.I. NDP elect Mike Redmond as party leader". CBC News, October 13, 2012.

[baker-4] "Bevan-Baker acclaimed as P.E.I. Green Party leader". Charlottetown: The Guardian. November 3, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2014.

[5] "P.E.I. PC Leader Olive Crane resigns". CBC News. December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 13, 2014.

[6] "Olive Crane resigns as P.E.I. Opposition leader". CBC News. January 30, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2014.

[7] "Tories name new P.E.I. Opposition leader". CBC News. January 30, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2014.

[8] "MLA Steven Myers named interim PC leader". CBC News. January 31, 2014. Retrieved June 13, 2014.

[9] "Perry to step down as Opposition leader". CBC News. February 11, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2014.

[10] Wright, Teresa (October 3, 2013). "Hal Perry crossing floor to join Liberals". The Guardian. Retrieved June 13, 2014.

[11] "Olive Crane kicked out of PC caucus". The Journal Pioneer. October 4, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2014.

[12] "P.E.I.-Liberals-and-PCs-both-looking-for-leaders".

[13] Wade MacLauchlan confirmed as P.E.I. Liberal leader

[14] "Experienced faces make up Wade MacLauchlan cabinet". CBC News. February 23, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.

[15] Legislative Assembly of PEI: Members

[16] Rob Lantz celebrates Progressive Conservative leadership victory

[17] Island Party sitting out election

[18] PEI Votes 2015: Leaders' Debate

[19] Leaders met in 2nd TV debate

[20] Liberal Alan McIsaac wins seat in coin toss after recount tie. CBC News, May 19, 2015.

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v t e Politics of Prince Edward Island
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