1969 Manitoba general election

The 1969 Manitoba general election was held on June 25, 1969 to elect Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) of the Canadian province of Manitoba. It was a watershed moment in the province's political history. The social-democratic New Democratic Party emerged for the first time as the largest party in the legislature, winning 28 out of 57 seats. The governing Progressive Conservative Party fell to 22, and the once-dominant Liberal Party fell to an historical low of five. The Social Credit Party won one seat, and there was also one Independent elected.

Although the NDP had risen from third place to only one seat short of a majority, it was not clear what form the government would take in the days immediately following the election. There were negotiations among the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives to form a minority coalition government, supported by the Social Credit and Independent members; under this scenario, former Liberal leader Gildas Molgat would have become Premier. These plans came to nothing when Liberal MLA Laurent Desjardins announced that he would sit as a "Liberal Democrat" supporting the NDP, allowing the NDP to form government by one seat. Edward Schreyer became the province's first social democratic Premier shortly thereafter.

The Manitoba NDP had a total election budget of $45,000. Although very small by modern standards, this was the most the party had ever spent up to this time.

The Liberals had managed to remain as the Official Opposition for a decade after losing power in 1959. However, this would be the start of almost 20 years in the political wilderness; the party would not come close to governing again until winning opposition status in 1988.

Riding results
Party key:
 * PC: Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba
 * L: Manitoba Liberal Party
 * NDP: New Democratic Party of Manitoba
 * SC: Manitoba Social Credit Party
 * Comm: Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba
 * Ind: Independent

Arthur:
 * (incumbent)J. Douglas Watt (PC) 3133
 * John McRae (L) 1375
 * Raymond Jones (NDP) 980

Assiniboia:
 * (incumbent)Stephen Patrick (L) 2355
 * Bill Docking (PC) 2329
 * Curtis Nordman (NDP) 1466

Brandon East:
 * Leonard Evans (NDP) 3035
 * Emily Lyons (PC) 1962
 * Don Martin (L) 1194

Brandon West:
 * Edward McGill (PC) 2814
 * James M. Skinner (NDP) 2310
 * Terry Penton (L) 1796

Burrows:
 * (incumbent)Ben Hanuschak (NDP) 3418
 * Wasyl Michael Swystun (PC) 1317
 * Olga E. Lewicki (L) 751
 * Andrew Bileski (Comm) 323

Charleswood:
 * Arthur Moug (PC) 3401
 * Duncan Edmonds (L) 2361
 * John C. Hilgenga (NDP) 1325

Churchill:
 * Gordon Beard (Ind) 1151
 * Walter Perepeluk (L) 971
 * Andre Champagne (PC) 913
 * Wilf Hudson (NDP) 822

Crescentwood:
 * Cy Gonick (NDP) 2689
 * (incumbent)Gurney Evans (PC) 2416
 * Francis Creighton Muldoon (L) 1422

Dauphin:
 * Peter Burtniak (NDP) 2933
 * (incumbent)Stewart McLean (PC) 2892
 * Robert E. Sheldon (L) 620

Elmwood:
 * (incumbent)Russell Doern (NDP) 3803
 * Alan George Gardiner (PC) 1526
 * John Kozoriz (L) 1053

Emerson:
 * Gabriel Girard (PC) 2467
 * (incumbent)John Tanchak (L) 2014
 * Stephen Zaretski (NDP) 695
 * Jacob Wall (SC) 237

Flin Flon:
 * Thomas Barrow (NDP) 2045
 * (incumbent)Charles H. Witney (PC) 1675
 * Francis Jobin (L) 1276

Fort Garry:
 * Bud Sherman (PC) 3570
 * G. Grant Cosby (NDP) 2063
 * Richard Alan Wankling (L) 1936

Fort Rouge:
 * Inez Trueman (PC) 2750
 * Una Decter (NDP) 2446
 * Jane Sayler Heffelfinger (L) 1941

Gimli:
 * John Gottfried (NDP) 2159
 * Eric Stefanson (PC) 1936
 * Walter Griffin (L) 1663

Gladstone:
 * James Ferguson (PC) 3000
 * (incumbent)Nelson Shoemaker (L) 2583
 * Mary McIntosh (NDP) 1064

Inkster:
 * (incumbent)Sidney Green (NDP) 4001
 * Robert Armstrong (PC) 989
 * Gurzon Harvey (L) 661

Kildonan:
 * (incumbent)Peter Fox (NDP) 4589
 * Don Mills (PC) 1876
 * John Gugulyn (L) 851

Lac Du Bonnet:
 * (incumbent)Samuel Uskiw (NDP) 4060
 * (incumbent)Fred Klym (PC) 1267
 * Al Tymko (L) 806

Lakeside:
 * (incumbent)Harry Enns (PC) 2532
 * Robert Bend (L) 2190

Logan:
 * William Jenkins (NDP) 3029
 * Samuel Minuk (PC) 871
 * Howard Ferguson (L) 679

Minnedosa:
 * (incumbent)Walter Weir (PC) 3525
 * Emile Roy Shellborn (NDP) 1713
 * Donald McNabb (L) 1028

Osborne:
 * Ian Turnbull (NDP) 3188
 * (incumbent)Obie Baizley (PC) 2565
 * Win Loewen (L) 965

Pembina:
 * George Henderson (PC) 2823
 * Kenneth John Draper (L) 1815
 * David Harms (SC) 521
 * Edith Alsop (NDP) 336

Portage la Prairie:
 * (incumbent)Gordon Johnston (L) 2451
 * Harvey Carmichael (PC) 2440
 * Sidney Coulthard (NDP) 1049

Radisson:
 * Harry Shafransky (NDP) 3707
 * Edward Joseph Albert Kotowich (L) 2284
 * Moreen Henderson (PC) 1054

Rhineland:
 * (incumbent)Jacob Froese (SC) 1981
 * Henry Hildebrand (PC) 1853
 * Willo Sterritt Forrester (L) 782
 * Jacob W. Heinrichs (NDP) 181

Riel:
 * (incumbent)Donald Craik (PC) 3125
 * James Edward Buchanan (NDP) 3096
 * Raymond Spence (L) 1423

River Heights:
 * (incumbent)Sidney Spivak (PC) 4623
 * Mark Danzker (L) 1573
 * Jack Silverberg (NDP) 1051

Roblin:
 * (incumbent)J. Wally McKenzie (PC) 2579
 * (incumbent)Mike Kawchuk (NDP) 2448
 * J.R. Mitchell (L) 516

Rock Lake:
 * (incumbent)Henry Einarson (PC) 3064
 * Remi Engelbert DePape (L) 1818
 * Timothy Leonard (NDP) 763

Rossmere:
 * Edward Schreyer (NDP) 4089
 * David Wilfred Pekary (PC) 1746
 * Vern Breckman (L) 631
 * Stanley Copp (Ind) 238

Rupertsland:
 * Jean Allard (NDP) 1366
 * S. P. Berthelette (L) 1142
 * Paul Burelle (PC) 1026

St. Boniface:
 * (incumbent)Laurent Desjardins (L) 4210
 * Kamil Michael Gajdosik (NDP) 2656
 * Maurice J. Arpin (PC) 1110

St. George:
 * Bill Uruski (NDP) 2284
 * (incumbent)Elman Guttormson (L) 1886
 * Joseph Schwartz (PC) 1169

St. James:
 * Al Mackling (NDP) 3642
 * (incumbent)Douglas Stanes (PC) 2676
 * Peter Moss (L) 1404

St. Johns:
 * (incumbent)Saul Cherniack (NDP) 3642
 * Joe Rozmus (PC) 1014
 * George Strewchuk (L) 736

St. Matthews:
 * Wally Johannson (NDP) 2974
 * (incumbent)Robert Steen (PC) 2217
 * Rudy Peters (L) 1119

Ste. Rose:
 * (incumbent)Gildas Molgat (L) 2247
 * Heinz Marohn (PC) 1198
 * Leon Hoefer (NDP) 754
 * Norma Oswald (SC) 313

Selkirk:
 * Howard Pawley (NDP) 3374
 * Robert Stefan Oliver (PC) 2054
 * George S. Sigurdson (L) 835
 * Thomas Norquay (Ind) 57

Seven Oaks:
 * (incumbent)Saul Miller (NDP) 4203
 * Daniel Abraham Yanofsky (PC) 1505
 * Evelyne Rosborough (L) 813

Souris-Killarney:
 * (incumbent)Malcolm Earl McKellar (PC) 3053
 * (incumbent)Edward Dow (L) 1982
 * Wayne Williams (NDP) 892

Springfield:
 * Rene Toupin (NDP) 2724
 * George Mulder (PC) 1551
 * Hector Bahuaud (L) 807

Sturgeon Creek:
 * Frank Johnston (PC) 2781
 * Robert Megill Chipman (L) 2251
 * Stanley J. Carter (NDP) 1251
 * William John Turner (Ind) 336
 * James Farrell (Ind) 238

Swan River:
 * (incumbent)James Bilton (PC) 1920
 * Alex Filuk (NDP) 1757
 * Jerry Webb (SC) 1252
 * Gordon Beaumont (L) 766

The Pas:
 * Ron McBryde (NDP) 1556
 * (incumbent)John Carroll (PC) 1361
 * Calvert D. Gibson (L) 963

Thompson:
 * (incumbent)Joseph Borowski (NDP) 2436
 * Thomas Farrell (PC) 1500
 * Maurice Desjardins (L) 843

Transcona:
 * (incumbent)Russ Paulley (NDP) 4614
 * Thelma Jean Opseth Call (L) 1488
 * Kenn Gunn-Walberg (PC) 1052

Virden:
 * (incumbent)Morris McGregor (PC) 2161
 * (incumbent)Earl Dawson (L) 1571
 * Ralph Rowan (NDP) 1531

Wellington:
 * (incumbent)Philip Petursson (NDP) 3260
 * William McGarva (PC) 1522
 * Thomas Bernes(L) 1035

Winnipeg Centre:
 * Bud Boyce (NDP) 2398
 * (incumbent)James Cowan (PC) 1451
 * Joseph Wapemoose (L) 822

Wolseley:
 * (incumbent)Leonard Claydon (PC) 2360
 * Hans J. Wittich (NDP) 1743
 * Paul N. Duval (L) 1391

Post-election changes
Jack Hardy (St. Vital, PC) resigned his seat. A by-election was called for April 5, 1971.

Ste. Rose (res. Gildas Molgat, October 7, 1970), April 5, 1971:
 * Aime Adam (NDP) 2785
 * Fred Werbiski (L) 2118
 * John Borcher (PC) 1792

Minnedosa (res. Walter Weir, September 1971), November 16, 1971:
 * Dave Blake (PC) 3532
 * Emil Shellborn (NDP) 2348
 * Hugh Stephenson (L) 1129

Laurent Desjardins formally joined the NDP in 1971.

Wolseley (dec. Leonard Claydon, 1971), June 16, 1972:
 * Israel Asper (L) 3530
 * Ernie J. Enns (PC) 2271
 * Vic Schroeder (NDP) 2174
 * William Hawryluk (Ind) 45

Jean Allard left the NDP to sit as an Independent on April 7, 1972. Joseph Borowski left the NDP caucus on June 25, 1972.

Churchill (dec. Gordon Beard, November 12, 1972)