Quick take: Progressive Conservative MLA Tim Houston is the incumbent for Pictou East. The riding has seen MLAs primarily from the Liberals and PCs, with the PCs holding the riding for the majority of the past 50 years.
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Candidates
Liberal: John Fraser is the Liberal candidate for the riding. He was a senior high school teacher for 25 years before retiring in 2014. He is the father of Central Nova MP Sean Fraser. The previous nominee was dismissed over “highly inappropriate social media commentary,” after it was brought to the party’s attention by Global News.
Progressive Conservative: Houston is the incumbent MLA. He was elected in 2013, taking the seat from two-term NDP MLA Clarrie MacKinnon. Houston is a chartered accountant.
NDP: Deborah Stiles is a historian, sustenance farmer and associate humanities professor at Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture in Truro.
Riding background
History: Houston won the seat in 2013 with 48.05 per cent of the vote, unseating MacKinnon by more than 10 per cent of the vote. Prior to MacKinnon, the party saw the PCs and Liberals both hold the riding. The PCs held the seat for long periods with Don Cameron sitting as its MLA for two decades.
Boundaries: The riding encompasses the eastern half of Pictou County and includes the communities of Thorburn, Sutherland’s River, Westville and Merigomish.
Demographics: Lobster, forestry, agriculture and the service sector make up much of the industries in the province. Residents in the riding are also employed at one of the two regional high schools in nearby districts.
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