Alec Salloum, Regina Leader-Post
The Saskatchewan NDP picked up two of three seats in a hotly contested provincial byelection.
In Regina Coronation Park, Noor Burki of the NDP won with 56.6 per cent of the votes, with the Saskatchewan Party’s Riaz Ahmed picking up 31.4 per cent of votes.
In Regina Walsh Acres, Jared Clarke of the NDP won with 54 per cent of tallied votes, while Nevin Markwart of the Saskatchewan Party garnered 40.2 per cent of votes.
However, the Saskatchewan Party did manage to hold on to the riding of Lumsden-Morse with Blaine McLeod receiving 53.7 per cent.
The real surprise in the riding was Jon Hromek of the Saskatchewan United Party picking up 22.7 per cent of votes, coming in second to the Saskatchewan Party candidate. Kaitlyn Stadnyk of the NDP received 21.6 per cent for third place.
Regina Walsh Acres MLA-elect NDP candidate Jared Clarke first ran in 2020 and was motivated to come to politics from his time working as a teacher and advocate with health care, affordability and education for people in Saskatchewan top of his mind.
Markwart said he was “despondent” following the result on Thursday night for him as the results came in for the riding.
“It was a wonderful experience,” he added.
Opposition leader Carla Beck spoke Thursday night to a packed ballroom, congratulating her candidates and now leading the largest NDP caucus since 2011.
“Friends, I think the people of Saskatchewan just sent Scott Moe and the (Saskatchewan) Party a message,” said Beck to cheers from the crowd.
And while Lumsden-Morse appears set for a Saskatchewan Party hold, Beck emphasized the result, saying her party will continue to work to flip rural seats.
“We are out there listening to voters in every corner of this province and we’re not going to stop. We’re not here to settle for second place. We’re gonna go all the way in 2024,” she said.
Speaking for the first time as MLA-elect for Regina Walsh Acres Clarke said he was excited to be a part of a growing NDP opposition with the 2024 general election on the horizon.
“Our momentum has been building and building to today with our wins in Regina Walsh Acres and Regina Coronation Park,” said Clarke.
MLA-elect for Coronation Park Burki thanked his family and volunteers for their efforts in the constituency.
“In the hottest summer on record, you were out there every day. You knocked on the doors. You talked to people and you gave them hope,” he said.
MLA-elect for Lumsden-Morse McLeod was not present at the Saskatchewan Party watch party. On X, formerly known as Twitter, Premier Scott Moe offered his congratulations to the MLA-elect.
“Thank you to all the byelection candidates and your teams and congratulations to Saskatchewan’s three newest MLAs. I look forward to working with Lumsden-Morse MLA Blaine McLeod — the newest member of our Saskatchewan Party government caucus,” he posted.
During the 2020 general election, all three constituencies went to the Saskatchewan Party. In Regina Walsh Acres the Saskacthewan Party picked up 46.6 per cent of the vote, and the NDP took 37.7 per cent. Regina Coronation Park 48.9 per cent of the vote went to the Sask Party and 44.1 per cent went to the NDP.
Lumsden-Morse saw a resounding Sask Party victory with 73.4 per cent of the vote going their way with 18 per cent going to the NDP.
Lumsden-Morse also saw 63.4 per cent voter turnout while Walsh Acres saw 56.5 per cent Coronation Park registered 47.6 per cent.
alsalloum@postmedia.com
