New Brunswick will have a Progressive Conservative majority government after Monday night’s election.
As of 10:40 p.m. Monday, the Tories were leading or elected in 27 ridings. A majority government in New Brunswick requires 25 seats.
The Liberals were leading or elected in 17 ridings, the Green Party in three ridings and the People’s Alliance in two ridings.
The Progressive Conservative Party won a majority government because it won the confidence of voters for its performance leading a minority government over the last two years, PC leader Blaine Higgs said Monday night after most of the results were in.
“New Brunswickers have voted for leadership that is prepared, for leadership that has been tested, and will continue to be tested, and for leadership that will make tough and balanced decisions to keep our province moving forward,” Higgs told his supporters at his headquarters in Quispamsis.
When Higgs called the election in late August, the PCs had 20 seats, five shy of a majority. Higgs also won his own seat in Quispamsis by more than 4,400 votes over local Liberal candidate, Robert Hunt.
The Liberal Party’s early counts kept its seat totals down 3 from the 20 they initially held when the election was called, August 17. The largest blow to the Liberals came from party leader Kevin Vickers, who lost his own seat in Miramichi to People’s Alliance candidate Michelle Conroy.
Elsewhere, The Green Party was once again elected in three ridings, with Green leader David Coon again capturing his own riding in Fredericton South.
The People’s Alliance traded down to two seats late Monday, though PANB Leader Kris Austin was able to retain his seat, winning in Fredericton-Grand Lake. The NDP was shut out again at the polls, its interim leader Mackenzie Thomason finished with only 100 votes in Fredericton North.
(With files from Mark Leger and Ben Burnett)
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