Quick take: Hammonds Plains-Lucasville will be a riding to watch in this election. Liberal incumbent Ben Jessome is running against popular city councillor Matt Whitman. The Progressive Conservatives have no seats in metro Halifax and are hoping to break through here.
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Candidates
Liberal: Jessome was first elected in 2013. He was a backbench MLA under the Liberal government. Jessome was elected almost immediately after studying at Acadia University.
Progressive Conservative: Matt Whitman is the Halifax councillor for Hammonds Plains-St. Margarets. He was first elected in 2012 and re-elected in 2016. Whitman is an outspoken politician known for his prolific Twitter use and sometimes controversial positions. Prior to the election he was accused of posting a racist video, which he later apologized for.
NDP: Paul McGuinness has worked in information technology for 30 years. He served on the local Ratepayers Association Board for 10 years.
Green: Jessica Alexander is deputy leader of the Green Party of Nova Scotia. She is a volunteer for several organizations including the Canadian Cancer Society and the Research Ethics Board for the Nova Scotia Health Authority.
Riding background
History: Jessome was first elected in 2013 with 52.23 per cent of the vote. The riding was created prior to the 2013 election but all the ridings that it took from were NDP ridings in 2009. The former riding of Hammonds Plains-Upper Sackville elected people from all three major parties between 2009 and 1993. However, the longest run was three Progressive Conservative wins from 1999 to 2006.
Boundaries: Hammonds Plains-Lucasville includes the communities of Stillwater Lake, Hammonds Plains, and the area of Upper Tantallon north of Highway 103.
Demographics: The riding is mostly residential and is home to many Halifax commuters.
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