HALIFAX – Provincial byelections in three Nova Scotia ridings have been set for July.
Premier Stephen McNeil announced Saturday that byelections will be held in Dartmouth South, Cape Breton Centre and Sydney-Whitney Pier. The byelections will take place on July 14.
The Dartmouth South riding has been vacant since the death of Liberal member Allan Rowe in March.
The Liberal candidate in Dartmouth South is Tim Rissesco, executive director of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission. He chairs the Dartmouth Christmas Tree Lighting and Natal Day committees. He has a Master of Business Administration from Saint Mary’s University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of King’s College.
The Progressive Conservative candidate for the riding is Gord Gamble, who also ran for the Tories in the 2013 election. Originally from New Brunswick, Gamble has lived in Nova Scotia since the late 1990s. His website says he has most recently worked as a consultant for the King’s Wharf Development on the Dartmouth Waterfront. He is a volunteer with Feed Nova Scotia and past club president of the Dartmouth Rotary Club.
The NDP candidate in Dartmouth South is Marian Mancini, a retired legal aid lawyer. “I spent my entire professional career working with people who were struggling to get by and as such I can’t condone the actions of the McNeil government,” said Mancini in a press release.
Dartmouth South resident Charlene Gagnon is running in the byelection as an independent.
In the 2013 election, the Liberals won Dartmouth South with 46.2 per cent of the vote. The NDP came in second with 33.3 per cent and the PC Party was third with 18.4 per cent of votes.
The Cape Breton riding of Sydney-Whitney Pier was previously held by Gordie Gosse, while Cape Breton Centre was represented by Frank Corbett.
The men, who were both NDP members, both resigned from the legislature in April.
The most recent provincial poll shows one half of decided voters support the Liberals, 27 per cent support the NDP, and 19 per cent support the Tories. Conducted by Coporate Research Associates in May, but released on June 9, the poll showed a drop in Liberal support from 58 per cent in February to 50 per cent. That drop in Liberal support went directly to the NDP, which saw a nine per cent increase in voter support (from 18 per cent to 27 per cent).
– With files from the Canadian Press
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