Global News has declared the NDP’s Jack Harris the winner in St. John’s East.
Harris defeated Liberal incumbent Nick Whalen by 16 per cent of the vote in early results.
The voters in this riding helped the Liberals complete a red sweep of Atlantic Canada in 2015, electing Whalen in an upset win over Harris, who was the incumbent MP.
This year’s election saw a rematch between the two and that made the riding a race to watch. The 2015 race was tight with Whalen earning 46.73 per cent of the vote while Jack Harris earned 45.29 per cent.
Whalen served as the chair of the standing committee on citizenship and immigration and chair of subcommittee on agenda and procedure of the standing committee on citizenship and immigration.
Harris was first elected to Parliament in 1987, and was MP again in St. John’s East from 2008 to 2015.
Candidates
Liberal: Nick Whalen (Incumbent)
Conservative: Joedy Wall
NDP: Jack Harris
Green: David Peters
Global News is featuring the candidates for all parties running candidates in the upcoming 2019 general election. For a complete list of candidates, visit Elections Canada.
Geography
Consists of the northern part of the town of Paradise as well as part of the City of St. John’s.
History
This riding was formerly known as St. John’s North before redistribution order of 2004. Was switched back to St. John’s East in 2006.
The riding was a PC/Conservative stronghold for MP Norman Doyle from 1997 until his retirement in 2008.
However since then it has switched between NDP and Liberal MPs.