# Steinbach (electoral district)

Steinbach is a provincial electoral division in the Canadian province of Manitoba that encompasses the city of Steinbach, the riding's namesake, and northeastern part of the Rural Municipality of Hanover.
The current MLA is Kelvin Goertzen, who was first elected with almost 75% of the vote in 2003. Goertzen also briefly served as Premier of Manitoba in 2021.

## History

It was created by redistribution in 1989, and has formally existed since the provincial election of 1990. Originally a much larger riding in terms of geographical area, Steinbach has been redistributed three times (1999, 2011, and 2019) in response to the city of Steinbach's rapid population growth and is now among the smallest provincial ridings in terms of land area outside of Winnipeg.
The riding is currently bordered by the riding of Dawson Trail to the north and east, and La Verendrye to the south and west. Prior to the redistribution ahead of the 2019 election, the riding was bordered by the former Emerson riding to the west, La Verendrye to the south and east, Dawson Trail to the north, and former Morris riding to the west.

## Demographics

As of 2016, thirty-four per cent of the riding's residents list German as their ethnic origin, and a further 7% list themselves as Dutch. There is a very strong Mennonite presence in the riding. Steinbach's population in 2006 was 19,415. In the year 1999, the average family income was $46,133, and the unemployment rate was 5.00%. Manufacturing accounts for 17% of the riding's industry, followed by agriculture at 14%.

## Voting history

The riding has been held by the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba since its creation, and is considered extremely safe for that party. Steinbach's rural nature, as well as the city's religious background, gives the riding a strong social conservative tint. Manitoba political pundits often refer to Steinbach as a "yellow dog riding," as it is one of many rural ridings where it is often said in jest that the Tories could nominate a yellow dog and still win. It is located within the federal riding of Provencher.

## List of provincial representatives

| Assembly | Years | Member | Party |
| Riding created from La Verendrye and Emerson |||||
| 35th | 1990-1995 | Albert Driedger | Progressive Conservative |
| 36th | 1995-1999 | Albert Driedger | Progressive Conservative |
| 37th | 1999-2003 | Jim Penner | Progressive Conservative |
| 38th | 2003-2007 | Kelvin Goertzen | Progressive Conservative |
| 39th | 2007-2011 | Kelvin Goertzen | Progressive Conservative |
| 40th | 2011-2016 | Kelvin Goertzen | Progressive Conservative |
| 41st | 2016–2019 | Kelvin Goertzen | Progressive Conservative |
| 42nd | 2019–2023 | Kelvin Goertzen | Progressive Conservative |
| 43rd | 2023–present | Kelvin Goertzen | Progressive Conservative |

## Electoral results
### 1990

1990 Manitoba general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Progressive Conservative | Albert Driedger | 5,540 | 75.64 |
| | Liberal | Cornelius Goertzen | 1,171 | 15.99 |
| | New Democratic | Marcel Lagasse | 483 | 6.59 |
| | Libertarian | Ken McAllister | 130 | 1.77 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,324 | – |
| Rejected | Rejected | Rejected | 19 | – |
| Eligible voters / Turnout | Eligible voters / Turnout | Eligible voters / Turnout | 12,725 | 57.71 |
| Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (1999). Statement of Votes for the 37th Provincial General Election, September 21, 1999 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. |||||||

### 1995

1995 Manitoba general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Albert Driedger | 5,975 | 74.99 | -0.65 |
| | Liberal | Cornelius Goertzen | 1,206 | 15.14 | -0.85 |
| | New Democratic | Peter Hiebert | 787 | 9.88 | 3.28 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,968 | – | – |
| Rejected | Rejected | Rejected | 55 | – |
| Eligible voters / Turnout | Eligible voters / Turnout | Eligible voters / Turnout | 13,710 | 58.52 | 0.81 |
| Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (1999). Statement of Votes for the 37th Provincial General Election, September 21, 1999 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. |||||||

### 1999

vte1999 Manitoba general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Jim Penner | 5,708 | 78.13 | 3.14 | $27,412.91 |
| | New Democratic | Peter Hiebert | 910 | 12.46 | 2.58 | $21.00 |
| | Liberal | Rick Ginter | 688 | 9.42 | -5.72 | $3,179.52 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,306 | – | – |
| Rejected | Rejected | Rejected | 48 | – |
| Eligible voters / turnout | Eligible voters / turnout | Eligible voters / turnout | 12,787 | 57.51 | -1.01 |
| Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (1999). Statement of Votes for the 37th Provincial General Election, September 21, 1999 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. |||||||

### 2003

vte2003 Manitoba general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Kelvin Goertzen | 4,284 | 74.63 | -3.49 | $24,714.92 |
| | New Democratic | Bonnie Schmidt | 875 | 15.24 | 2.79 | $341.35 |
| | Liberal | Monica Guetre | 455 | 7.93 | -1.49 | $3,465.33 |
| | Green | Connie Jantz | 126 | 2.20 | – | $74.58 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 5,740 | – | – |
| Rejected | Rejected | Rejected | 41 | – |
| Eligible voters / turnout | Eligible voters / turnout | Eligible voters / turnout | 13,768 | 41.99 | -15.52 |
| Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (2003). Statement of Votes for the 38th Provincial General Election, June 3, 2003 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. |||||||

### 2007

vte2007 Manitoba general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Kelvin Goertzen | 6,144 | 82.98 | 8.35 | $25,321.51 |
| | New Democratic | Rawle Squires | 641 | 8.66 | -6.59 | $331.36 |
| | Liberal | Jonathan Thiessen | 351 | 4.74 | -3.19 | $340.30 |
| | Green | Janine G. Gibson | 268 | 3.62 | 1.42 | $421.15 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,404 | – | – |
| Rejected | Rejected | Rejected | 25 | – |
| Eligible voters / turnout | Eligible voters / turnout | Eligible voters / turnout | 14,863 | 49.98 | 7.99 |
| Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (2007). Statement of Votes for the 39th Provincial General Election, May 22, 2007 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. |||||||

### 2011

vte2011 Manitoba general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Kelvin Goertzen | 5,469 | 85.49 | 2.51 | $28,130.00 |
| | New Democratic | Dally Gutierrez | 488 | 7.63 | -1.03 | $0.00 |
| | Liberal | Lee Fehler | 440 | 6.88 | 2.14 | $987.95 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 6,397 | – | – |
| Rejected | Rejected | Rejected | 26 | – |
| Eligible voters / turnout | Eligible voters / turnout | Eligible voters / turnout | 12,934 | 49.66 | -0.32 |
| Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (2011). Statement of Votes for the 40th Provincial General Election, October 4, 2011 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. "Election Returns: 40th General Election". Elections Manitoba. 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2018. |||||||

### 2016

vte2016 Manitoba general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Kelvin Goertzen | 6,982 | 89.17 | 3.68 | $17,469.05 |
| | Liberal | Dakota Young-Brown | 461 | 5.89 | -0.99 | $5.84 |
| | New Democratic | Kathleen McCallum | 387 | 4.94 | -2.69 | $146.90 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,830 | – | – |
| Rejected | Rejected | Rejected | 87 | – |
| Eligible voters / Turnout | Eligible voters / Turnout | Eligible voters / Turnout | 15,310 | 51.71 | 2.05 |
| Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (2016). Statement of Votes for the 41st Provincial General Election, April 19, 2016 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. "Election Returns: 41st General Election". Elections Manitoba. 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2018. |||||||

### 2019

vte2019 Manitoba general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Kelvin Goertzen | 6,241 | 81.64 | -7.53 | $14,150.78 |
| | New Democratic | Robert Jessup | 616 | 8.06 | 3.12 | $612.56 |
| | Green | Janine Gibson | 418 | 5.47 | – | $0.00 |
| | Liberal | LeAmber Kensley | 370 | 4.84 | -1.05 | $0.00 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,645 | – | – |
| Rejected | Rejected | Rejected | 31 | – |
| Eligible voters / Turnout | Eligible voters / Turnout | Eligible voters / Turnout | 14,623 | 52.49 | 0.78 |
| Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). Statement of Votes for the 42nd Provincial General Election, September 10, 2019 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. "Candidate Election Returns". Elections Manitoba. Elections Manitoba. Retrieved March 2, 2020. |||||||

### 2023

vte2023 Manitoba general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Kelvin Goertzen | 5,868 | 74.37 | -7.26 | $20,976.32 |
| | New Democratic | Gord Meneer | 1,221 | 15.48 | +7.42 | $1,145.76 |
| | Liberal | Cyndy Friesen | 801 | 10.15 | +5.31 | $6,032.40 |
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | 7,890 | 97.60 | – | $65,660.00 |
| Total rejected and declined ballots | Total rejected and declined ballots | Total rejected and declined ballots | 194 | 2.40 | – |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,084 | 48.14 | -4.35 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 16,791 |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | -7.34 |
| Source(s) Source: Elections Manitoba |||||||