2019 Prince Edward Island general election

The 2019 Prince Edward Island general election was held to elect the members of the 66th General Assembly of Prince Edward Island. The vote in 26 of the 27 districts was held on 23 April 2019, while the vote for the member from Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park was deferred to 15 July due to the death of the Green Party's candidate. However, Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park still voted in a referendum on electoral reform. Natalie Jameson won the deferred election in the district.

The Progressive Conservatives under new leader Dennis King won thirteen seats (including the deferred seat) to form a minority government. The Greens under leader Peter Bevan-Baker won eight seats to form the Official Opposition. The Liberals under Premier Wade MacLauchlan were reduced to six seats and MacLauchlan lost in his own district. The Progressive Conservatives' share of the popular vote was steady at 37%, the Green Party enjoyed a 20 point increase to 31%, and the Liberals' share dropped 11 points to 30%. The Greens won several seats in or near the two cities of Charlottetown and Summerside, while the Progressive Conservatives took several more rural seats from the Liberals.

A referendum on electoral reform that asked Islanders if they wished to adopt a mixed-member proportional representation voting system was held in conjunction with the election. The initiative failed to pass in at least 60% of the districts as required under provincial legislation to proceed so the province did not change from the first past the post system in subsequent elections. As well, the Island-wide popular vote showed about 51% of voters voted to stay with the current first-past-the-post voting system while about 49% voted for the proposed change.

The election was the first time since the 1890 Prince Edward Island general election that the province elected a minority government, the first time in the province's history that a significant number of voters turned to a third party besides the dominant Liberals and Progressive Conservatives, and the first time that a Green Party reached official opposition status in any Canadian provincial legislature.

Background
Under the provisions of the Prince Edward Island Elections Act, an election was required by the fixed date of 7 October 2019, unless it was called earlier. After months of speculation of an early election call, Premier Wade MacLauchlan announced the election at a rally on 26 March.

In the previous election, on 4 May 2015, the Liberal Party, led by Premier Wade MacLauchlan, was re-elected to a majority government, earning election in 18 out of the 27 ridings (and down 2 from their pre-election total). The official opposition Progressive Conservatives, under leader Rob Lantz, increased its seat count from 3 before the election to 8, despite Lantz losing in Charlottetown-Brighton. Meanwhile, the Green Party, under leader Peter Bevan-Baker, won its first ever seat, Bevan-Baker's, in Kellys Cross-Cumberland. The NDP were unable to win a seat, continuing their streak of being shut out of the legislature since 2000.

Despite the increase in the Progressive Conservatives' seat count, on 23 September of that year, Lantz stepped down as leader. Since Lantz's departure, The Progressive Conservatives held two leadership elections: one on 20 October 2017, selecting MLA James Aylward as their leader; and again on 9 February 2019, choosing Dennis King as their new leader following Aylward's announcement on 27 September 2018 his intention to resign when his successor was chosen.

Results


Source : electionspei.ca

!rowspan="2" colspan="2" align=left|Party !rowspan="2" align=left|Party leader !rowspan="2"| Candidates !colspan="4" align=center|Seats !colspan="3" style="text-align:center;"|Popular vote !align="center"|2015 !align="center"| Dissol. !align="center"|2019 ! style="text-align:center;"|Change ! style="text-align:center;"|# ! style="text-align:center;"|% ! style="text-align:center;"|Change


 * align=left|Dennis King
 * align="right"|27
 * align="right"|8
 * align="right"|8
 * align="right"|13
 * align="right"| +5
 * align="right"|30,415
 * align="right"|36.73
 * align="right"|–0.66


 * align=left|Peter Bevan-Baker
 * align="right"|27
 * align="right"|1
 * align="right"|2
 * align="right"|8
 * align="right"| +7
 * align="right"|25,302
 * align="right"|30.55
 * align="right"|+19.74


 * align=left|Wade MacLauchlan
 * align="right"|27
 * align="right"|18
 * align="right"|16
 * align="right"|6
 * align="right"| –12
 * align="right"|24,346
 * align="right"|29.41
 * align="right"|–11.42


 * align=left|Joe Byrne
 * align="right"|24
 * align="right"|0
 * align="right"|0
 * align="right"|0
 * align="right"|–
 * align="right"|2,454
 * align="right"|2.96
 * align="right"|–8.01

!colspan="11"|
 * colspan="2" align="left"|Independent
 * align="right"|3
 * align="right"|0
 * align="right"|1
 * align="right"|0
 * align="right"|-
 * align="right"|282
 * align="right"|0.34
 * align="right"|+0.34
 * colspan="8" align=left|Blank and invalid ballots
 * align="right"|386
 * align="right"|0.46
 * align="right"|
 * style="text-align:left;" colspan="3"|Total
 * style="text-align:right;"|108
 * style="text-align:right;"|27
 * style="text-align:right;"|27
 * style="text-align:right;"|27
 * style="text-align:right;"|
 * style="text-align:right;"|83,185
 * style="text-align:right;"|100
 * style="text-align:right;"|
 * colspan="8" align=left|Registered voters / turnout
 * align="right"|107,109
 * align="right"|77.66
 * align="right"|
 * }
 * align="right"|77.66
 * align="right"|
 * }

Synopsis of results

 * = open seat
 * = turnout is above provincial average
 * = incumbent re-elected in same riding
 * = previously incumbent in another riding
 * = other incumbent renominated

2015

 * 4 May – The Liberal Party, led by Premier Wade MacLauchlan, wins a majority government and the Progressive Conservative Party forms the opposition. The Green Party, under leader Peter Bevan-Baker, wins its first ever seat, with Bevan-Baker winning Kellys Cross-Cumberland.
 * 23 September – Progressive Conservative leader Rob Lantz resigns, effective that day.
 * 15 October – Jamie Fox, MLA for Borden-Kinkora, is chosen as the Progressive Conservative interim leader, defeating opponent Darlene Compton.

2016

 * 1 August – Liberal MLA for Summerside-Wilmot Janice Sherry resigns her seat.
 * 17 October – Chris Palmer is elected in the Summerside-Wilmot by-election, retaining the seat for the Liberals.
 * 27 October – Voting for the 2016 Plebiscite on Democratic Renewal, a non-binding referendum on changing the electoral system, begins.
 * 7 November – Voting in the 2016 Plebiscite on Democratic Renewal ends, indicating mixed member proportional representation as the preferred choice for electing MLAs.
 * 22 November – The Legislative Assembly does not adopt the Plebiscite on Democratic Renewal's results and instead approves a motion to hold a second referendum at the next provincial election.

2017

 * 19 October – Liberal MLA for Charlottetown-Parkdale Doug Currie resigns his seat.
 * 20 October – James Aylward, MLA for Stratford-Kinlock, is chosen as the Progressive Conservative leader, defeating opponent Brad Trivers.
 * 27 November – Green candidate Hannah Bell wins the by-election to fill the seat of Charlottetown-Parkdale, doubling the Green caucus to two and becoming the first time in PEI politics, that a provincial third-party won a by-election.

2018

 * 31 January – MLA for West Royalty-Springvale Bush Dumville leaves the Liberal Party, becomes an independent.
 * 14 February – Anticipating an early General Election, the Greens call for potential candidates "to make themselves known".
 * 7 April – Joe Byrne is elected leader of the New Democratic Party of Prince Edward Island.
 * 13 June – The Electoral System Referendum Act is passed by the Legislative Assembly, scheduling a referendum on electoral reform for the same date as the provincial election. Voters will be asked if they support Prince Edward Island changing its electoral system to mixed-member proportional representation.
 * 17 September – Progressive Conservative leader James Aylward announces pending resignation, to take effect upon selection of successor.

2019

 * 1 February – Campaign period for the electoral reform referendum begins, making an election likely for the spring.
 * 9 February – Dennis King is elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Prince Edward Island.
 * 26 March – Premier Wade MacLauchlan advises Lieutenant Governor Antoinette Perry to dissolve the legislature and call an early election.
 * 20 April – The election in the riding of Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park is formally delayed as a result of the death of Green Party candidate Josh Underhay.
 * 23 April – General election held.
 * 13 June – Deferred election date announced for Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park.
 * 6 July – Advance voting in Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park deferred election began, also took place on 8 and 12 July.
 * 15 July – Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park deferred election held, Progressive Conservative candidate Natalie Jameson is elected.

Opinion polls


The following is a list of scientific opinion polls of published voter intentions.

Candidates

 * Party leaders' names are in bold; cabinet ministers' names are in italics.
 * Incumbents not running for re-election are denoted with a dagger †.

Cardigan
615 - 20.91% 1,545 - 52.53% 781 - 26.56% 663 - 21.60% 1,493 - 48.63% 865 - 28.18% 49 - 1.60% Georgetown-St. Peters 902 - 29.81% 934 - 30.87% 1,152 - 38.07% 38 - 1.26% Vernon River-Stratford 785 -26.55% 1,373 - 46.43% 675 - 22.83% 124 - 4.19% 557 - 18.32% 1,752 - 57.61% 697 - 22.92% 35 - 1.15% Morell-Mermaid 861 - 28.59% 1,347 - 44.72% 804 - 26.69% 1,196 - 36.36% 1,300 - 39.53% 747 - 22.71% 46 - 1.40% York-Oyster Bed 882 - 29.52% 1,270 - 42.50% 805 - 26.94% 31 - 1.04% Stratford-Kinlock
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|4. Belfast-Murray River
 * Ian MacPherson
 * Ian MacPherson
 * Ian MacPherson
 * Darlene Compton
 * Darlene Compton
 * James Sanders
 * James Sanders
 * Andy Clarey
 * Darlene Compton
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|2. Georgetown-Pownal
 * Kevin Doyle
 * Darlene Compton
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|2. Georgetown-Pownal
 * Kevin Doyle
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|2. Georgetown-Pownal
 * Kevin Doyle
 * Kevin Doyle
 * Steven Myers
 * Steven Myers
 * Susan Hartley
 * Susan Hartley
 * Edith Perry
 * Edith Perry
 * Steven Myers
 * Steven Myers
 * Steven Myers
 * Steven Myers
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|5. Mermaid-Stratford
 * Randy Cooper
 * Randy Cooper
 * Randy Cooper
 * Mary Ellen McInnis
 * Mary Ellen McInnis
 * Michele Beaton
 * Michele Beaton
 * Lawrence Millar
 * Lawrence Millar
 * Alan McIsaac†
 * Alan McIsaac†
 * Alan McIsaac†
 * Alan McIsaac†
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|3. Montague-Kilmuir
 * Daphne Griffin
 * Daphne Griffin
 * Daphne Griffin
 * Cory Deagle
 * Cory Deagle
 * John Allen MacLean
 * John Allen MacLean
 * Billy Cann
 * Billy Cann
 * Allen Roach†
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|7. Morell-Donagh
 * Susan Myers
 * Allen Roach†
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|7. Morell-Donagh
 * Susan Myers
 * Susan Myers
 * Susan Myers
 * Sidney MacEwen
 * Sidney MacEwen
 * Kyle MacDonald
 * Kyle MacDonald
 * Margaret Andrade
 * Margaret Andrade
 * Sidney MacEwen
 * Sidney MacEwen
 * Sidney MacEwen
 * Sidney MacEwen
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|1. Souris-Elmira
 * Tommy Kickham
 * Tommy Kickham
 * Tommy Kickham
 * Colin LaVie
 * Colin LaVie
 * Boyd Leard
 * Boyd Leard
 * Colin LaVie
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|8. Stanhope-Marshfield
 * Wade MacLauchlan
 * Colin LaVie
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|8. Stanhope-Marshfield
 * Wade MacLauchlan
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|8. Stanhope-Marshfield
 * Wade MacLauchlan
 * Wade MacLauchlan
 * Wade MacLauchlan
 * Bloyce Thompson
 * Bloyce Thompson
 * Sarah Donald
 * Sarah Donald
 * Marian White
 * Marian White
 * Wade MacLauchlan
 * Wade MacLauchlan
 * Wade MacLauchlan
 * Wade MacLauchlan
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|6. Stratford-Keppoch
 * David Dunphy
 * David Dunphy
 * David Dunphy
 * James Aylward
 * James Aylward
 * Devon Strang
 * Devon Strang
 * Lynne Thiele
 * Lynne Thiele
 * James Aylward
 * James Aylward
 * James Aylward
 * James Aylward
 * }

Malpeque
417 - 12.93% 1,680 - 52.11% 1,041 - 32.29% 32 - 0.99% 54 - 1.67% 899 - 28.54% 1,315 - 41.75% 879 - 27.90% 57 - 1.81% West Royalty-Springvale 1,643 - 47.90% 602 - 17.55% 1,137 - 33.15% 48 - 1.40% 389 - 12.03% 2,008 - 62.11% 805 - 24.90% 31 - 0.96% 515 - 14.80% 1,068 - 30.70% 1,870 - 53.75% 26 - 0.75% Kellys Cross-Cumberland 489 - 14.65% 1,920 - 57.52% 899 - 26.93% 30 - 0.90%
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|19. Borden-Kinkora
 * Jamie Stride
 * Jamie Stride
 * Jamie Stride
 * Jamie Fox
 * Jamie Fox
 * Matthew MacFarlane
 * Matthew MacFarlane
 * Joan Gauvin
 * Joan Gauvin
 * Fred McCardle
 * Fred McCardle
 * Jamie Fox
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|15. Brackley-Hunter River
 * Windsor Wight
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|15. Brackley-Hunter River
 * Windsor Wight
 * Windsor Wight
 * Dennis King
 * Dennis King
 * Greg Bradley
 * Greg Bradley
 * Leah-Jane Hayward
 * Leah-Jane Hayward
 * Bush Dumville
 * Bush Dumville
 * Bush Dumville
 * Bush Dumville
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|16. Cornwall-Meadowbank
 * Heath MacDonald
 * Heath MacDonald
 * Heath MacDonald
 * Elaine Barnes
 * Elaine Barnes
 * Ellen Jones
 * Ellen Jones
 * Craig Nash
 * Craig Nash
 * Heath MacDonald
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|20. Kensington-Malpeque
 * Nancy Beth Guptill
 * Heath MacDonald
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|20. Kensington-Malpeque
 * Nancy Beth Guptill
 * Nancy Beth Guptill
 * Nancy Beth Guptill
 * Matthew MacKay
 * Matthew MacKay
 * Matthew J. MacKay
 * Matthew J. MacKay
 * Carole MacFarlane
 * Carole MacFarlane
 * Matthew MacKay
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|17. New Haven-Rocky Point
 * Judy MacNevin
 * Matthew MacKay
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|17. New Haven-Rocky Point
 * Judy MacNevin
 * Judy MacNevin
 * Judy MacNevin
 * Kris Currie
 * Kris Currie
 * Peter Bevan-Baker
 * Peter Bevan-Baker
 * Don Wills
 * Don Wills
 * Don Wills
 * Don Wills
 * Peter Bevan-Baker
 * Peter Bevan-Baker
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|18. Rustico-Emerald
 * Alexander (Sandy) MacKay
 * Alexander (Sandy) MacKay
 * Alexander (Sandy) MacKay
 * Brad Trivers
 * Brad Trivers
 * Colin Jeffrey
 * Colin Jeffrey
 * Sean Deagle
 * Sean Deagle
 * Brad Trivers
 * }
 * Brad Trivers
 * }
 * }

Charlottetown
846 - 26.56% 998 - 31.33% 1,286 - 40.38% 55 - 1.73% Charlottetown-Parkdale 1,223 - 37.88% 567 - 17.56% 1,301 - 40.29% 138 - 4.27% 635 25.71% 1,080 43.72% 709 - 28.70% 46 - 1.86% Tracadie-Hillsborough Park 875 - 27.86% 656 - 20.89% 1,272 - 40.50% 338 - 10.76% 1,079 - 35.16% 766 - 24.96% 966 - 31.48% 56 - 1.82% 202 - 6.58% Charlottetown-Lewis Point 1,420 - 41.97% 865 - 25.57% 1,057 - 31.24% 41 - 1.21% Charlottetown-Sherwood
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|11. Charlottetown-Belvedere
 * Roxanne Carter-Thompson
 * Roxanne Carter-Thompson
 * Roxanne Carter-Thompson
 * Ronnie Carragher
 * Ronnie Carragher
 * Hannah Bell
 * Hannah Bell
 * Trevor Leclerc
 * Trevor Leclerc
 * Hannah Bell
 * Hannah Bell
 * Hannah Bell
 * Hannah Bell
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|13. Charlottetown-Brighton
 * Jordan Brown
 * Jordan Brown
 * Jordan Brown
 * Donna Hurry
 * Donna Hurry
 * Ole Hammarlund
 * Ole Hammarlund
 * Simone Webster
 * Simone Webster
 * Jordan Brown
 * rowspan=2 bgcolor="whitesmoke"|9. Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park
 * Karen Lavers
 * Jordan Brown
 * rowspan=2 bgcolor="whitesmoke"|9. Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park
 * Karen Lavers
 * Karen Lavers
 * Karen Lavers
 * Natalie Jameson
 * Natalie Jameson
 * John Andrew
 * John Andrew
 * Gordon Gay
 * Gordon Gay
 * rowspan=2 |
 * rowspan=2|Buck Watts†
 * rowspan=2 |
 * rowspan=2|Buck Watts†
 * colspan=10 align="center"| Election deferred, held on 15 July 2019 due to the death of Green Party candidate Josh Underhay
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|12. Charlottetown-Victoria Park
 * Richard Brown
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|12. Charlottetown-Victoria Park
 * Richard Brown
 * Richard Brown
 * Tim Keizer
 * Tim Keizer
 * Karla Bernard
 * Karla Bernard
 * Joe Byrne
 * Joe Byrne
 * Richard Brown
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|14. Charlottetown-West Royalty
 * Gord McNeilly
 * Richard Brown
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|14. Charlottetown-West Royalty
 * Gord McNeilly
 * Gord McNeilly
 * Gord McNeilly
 * Angus Birt
 * Angus Birt
 * Gavin Hall
 * Gavin Hall
 * Janis Newman
 * Janis Newman
 * Bush Dumville
 * Bush Dumville
 * Kathleen Casey†
 * Kathleen Casey†
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|10. Charlottetown-Winsloe
 * Robert Mitchell
 * Robert Mitchell
 * Robert Mitchell
 * Mike Gillis
 * Mike Gillis
 * Amanda Morrison
 * Amanda Morrison
 * Jesse Reddin Cousins
 * Jesse Reddin Cousins
 * Robert Mitchell
 * Robert Mitchell
 * Robert Mitchell
 * Robert Mitchell
 * }

Egmont
1,153 - 40.02% 1,312 - 45.54% 317 - 11.00% 99 - 3.44% Alberton-Roseville 1,100 - 44.55% 575 - 23.29% 761 - 30.82% 33 - 1.34% 1,102 - 40.92% 462 - 17.16% 231 - 8.58% 898 - 33.35% 938 - 31.61% 662 - 22.31% 1,302 - 43.88% 65 - 2.19% Summerside-St. Eleanors 892 - 27.65% 1,037 - 32.15% 1,258 - 39.00% 39 - 1.21% 1,388 - 49.25% 802 - 28.46% 584 - 20.72% 44 - 1.56% 882 - 28.54% 1,026 - 33.20% 1,101 - 35.63% 81 - 2.62% Tyne Valley-Linkletter
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|26. Alberton-Bloomfield
 * Pat Murphy
 * Pat Murphy
 * Pat Murphy
 * Ernie Hudson
 * Ernie Hudson
 * James McKenna
 * James McKenna
 * Michelle Arsenault
 * Michelle Arsenault
 * Pat Murphy
 * Pat Murphy
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|24. Evangeline-Miscouche
 * Sonny Gallant
 * Sonny Gallant
 * Sonny Gallant
 * Jason Woodbury
 * Jason Woodbury
 * Nick Arsenault
 * Nick Arsenault
 * Grant Gallant
 * Grant Gallant
 * Sonny Gallant
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|25. O'Leary-Inverness
 * Robert Henderson
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|25. O'Leary-Inverness
 * Robert Henderson
 * Robert Henderson
 * Barb Broome
 * Barb Broome
 * Jason Charette
 * Jason Charette
 * Herb Dickieson
 * Herb Dickieson
 * Robert Henderson
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|22. Summerside-South Drive
 * Tina Mundy
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|22. Summerside-South Drive
 * Tina Mundy
 * Tina Mundy
 * Paul Walsh
 * Paul Walsh
 * Steve Howard
 * Steve Howard
 * Garth Oatway
 * Garth Oatway
 * Tina Mundy
 * Tina Mundy
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|21. Summerside-Wilmot
 * Chris Palmer
 * Chris Palmer
 * Chris Palmer
 * Tyler DesRoches
 * Tyler DesRoches
 * Lynne Lund
 * Lynne Lund
 * Paulette Halupa
 * Paulette Halupa
 * Chris Palmer
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|27. Tignish-Palmer Road
 * Hal Perry
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|27. Tignish-Palmer Road
 * Hal Perry
 * Hal Perry
 * Melissa Handrahan
 * Melissa Handrahan
 * Sean Doyle
 * Sean Doyle
 * Dale Ryan
 * Dale Ryan
 * Hal Perry
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|23. Tyne Valley-Sherbrooke
 * Paula Biggar
 * bgcolor="whitesmoke"|23. Tyne Valley-Sherbrooke
 * Paula Biggar
 * Paula Biggar
 * Hilton MacLennan
 * Hilton MacLennan
 * Trish Altass
 * Trish Altass
 * Robin Enman
 * Robin Enman
 * Paula Biggar
 * Paula Biggar
 * }