# Cardiff West (Senedd constituency)

Cardiff West (Welsh: Gorllewin Caerdydd) is a constituency of the Senedd. It elects one Member of the Senedd by the first past the post method of election. Also, however, it is one of eight constituencies in the South Wales Central electoral region, which elects four additional members, in addition to eight constituency members, to produce a degree of proportional representation for the region as a whole. The constituency has twice provided the First Minister of Wales, Rhodri Morgan from 2000-2009 and Mark Drakeford from 2018–2024.

## Boundaries

The constituency was created for the first election to the Assembly, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of the Cardiff West Westminster constituency. It is entirely within the preserved county of South Glamorgan.
The other seven constituencies of the region are Cardiff Central, Cardiff North, Cardiff South and Penarth, Cynon Valley, Pontypridd, Rhondda and Vale of Glamorgan.

## Voting

In general elections for the Senedd, each voter has two votes. The first vote may be used to vote for a candidate to become the Member of the Senedd for the voter's constituency, elected by the first past the post system. The second vote may be used to vote for a regional closed party list of candidates. Additional member seats are allocated from the lists by the d'Hondt method, with constituency results being taken into account in the allocation.
| Election | Election | Member | Party | Portrait | Notes |
| | 1999 | Rhodri Morgan | Labour | | Secretary for Economic Development and European Affairs (1999–2000) Leader of Welsh Labour & First Minister of Wales (2000–2009) |
| | 2011 | Mark Drakeford | Labour | | Minister for Health and Social Services (2013–2016 & 2024) Minister for Finance (2016–2018 & 2024 - Present) Leader of Welsh Labour & First Minister of Wales (2018–2024) |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

2021 Senedd election: Cardiff West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mark Drakeford | 17,665 | 48.4 | +12.8 | 13,421 | 37.0 | +7.0 |
| | Conservative | Sean Driscoll | 6,454 | 17.7 | +0.2 | 6,553 | 18.0 | +1.6 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Rhys ab Owen | 5,897 | 16.1 | -15.8 | 7,858 | 21.6 | -9.1 |
| | Propel | Neil McEvoy | 3,473 | 9.5 | N/A | 2,796 | 7.7 | N/A |
| | Green | David Griffin | 1,287 | 3.5 | +0.3 | 2,479 | 6.8 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Heath John Marshall | 803 | 2.2 | -0.5 | 1,155 | 3.2 | -0.6 |
| | Abolish | Lee Canning | 682 | 1.9 | New | 988 | 2.7 | -0.9 |
| | Reform UK | Nick Mullins | 175 | 0.5 | New | 215 | 0.6 | New |
| | Independent | Captain Beany | 95 | 0.3 | New | | | |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 354 | 1.0 | -7.5 |
| | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | No More Lockdowns | 157 | 0.4 | New |
| | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | 104 | 0.3 | New |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 76 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 73 | 0.2 | ±0.0 |
| | Independent | Alan Coulthard | Alan Coulthard | Alan Coulthard | Alan Coulthard | 40 | 0.2 | New |
| | Workers Party | Workers Party | Workers Party | Workers Party | Workers Party | 39 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 11,211 | 30.7 | +27.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,531 | 50.55 | +2.1 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency ↑ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency |||||||||

### Elections in the 2010s

Welsh Assembly Election 2016: Cardiff West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Mark Drakeford | 11,381 | 35.6 | -11.5 | 9,521 | 30.0 | -7.5 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Neil McEvoy | 10,205 | 31.9 | +11.9 | 9,741 | 30.7 | +14.2 |
| | Conservative | Sean Driscoll | 5,617 | 17.5 | -8.3 | 5,205 | 16.4 | -5.9 |
| | UKIP | Gareth Bennett | 2,629 | 8.2 | New | 2,698 | 8.5 | +4.4 |
| | Green | Hannah Pudner | 1,032 | 3.2 | New | 1,375 | 4.3 | -4.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cadan ap Tomos | 868 | 2.7 | -4.3 | 1,222 | 3.8 | -1.7 |
| | Independent | Eliot Freedman | 132 | 0.4 | New | | | |
| | Vapers in Power / Freedom to Choose | Lee Woolls | 96 | 0.3 | New | 47 | 0.1 | New |
| | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | 1,136 | 3.6 | New |
| | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | Women's Equality | 448 | 1.4 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | 113 | 0.3 | -0.3 |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 98 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | Independent (Jonathan Bishop) | 75 | 0.2 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 73 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,176 | 3.7 | −17.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 31,960 | 48.4 | −4.6 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | -11.7 | |
Welsh Assembly Election 2011: Cardiff West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Mark Drakeford | 13,067 | 47.1 | +8.5 | 10,413 | 37.5 | +4.8 |
| | Conservative | Craig Williams | 7,166 | 25.8 | +1.1 | 6,187 | 22.3 | +0.1 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Neil McEvoy | 5,551 | 20.0 | -1.3 | 4,581 | 16.5 | -2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Paul Morgan | 1,942 | 7.0 | -8.2 | 1,523 | 5.5 | -6.2 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 2,379 | 8.6 | +3.2 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 1,146 | 4.1 | +2.0 |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 514 | 1.9 | -1.8 |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 494 | 1.8 | +1.1 |
| | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | 224 | 0.8 | ±0.0 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | 153 | 0.6 | New |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 96 | 0.3 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 56 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,782 | 21.3 | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,726 | 53.0 | +11.4 |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |
Regional ballots rejected at the count: 205

### Elections in the 2000s

Welsh Assembly Election 2007: Cardiff West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rhodri Morgan | 10,390 | 38.6 | -10.4 | 8,528 | 32.7 | -8.4 |
| | Conservative | Craig Williams | 6,692 | 24.9 | +7.1 | 5,782 | 22.2 | +3.2 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Neil McEvoy | 5,719 | 21.3 | +5.8 | 4,920 | 18.9 | +4.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alison R. Goldsworthy | 4,088 | 15.2 | +1.6 | 3,056 | 11.7 | -0.8 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 1,410 | 5.4 | +0.6 |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 970 | 3.7 | New |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 553 | 2.1 | -2.5 |
| | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | 206 | 0.8 | New |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 183 | 0.7 | -0.5 |
| | Respect | Respect | Respect | Respect | Respect | 178 | 0.7 | New |
| | Socialist Alternative | Socialist Alternative | Socialist Alternative | Socialist Alternative | Socialist Alternative | 92 | 0.3 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 78 | 0.3 | ±0.0 |
| | CPA | CPA | CPA | CPA | CPA | 76 | 0.1 | New |
| | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | Socialist Equality | 27 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,698 | 13.7 | −19.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,889 | 41.6 | −6.2 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -8.8 | |
Welsh Assembly Election 2003: Cardiff West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rhodri Morgan | 10,420 | 50.3 | -11.3 | 8,568 | 41.2 | -2.0 |
| | Conservative | Heather Douglas | 3,583 | 17.3 | +2.5 | 3,947 | 19.0 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jacqui Gasson | 2,914 | 14.1 | +5.2 | 2,604 | 12.5 | +0.2 |
| | Plaid Cymru | Eluned M. Bush | 2,859 | 13.8 | -0.9 | 3,041 | 14.6 | -6.3 |
| | UKIP | Frank Hughes | 929 | 4.5 | New | 952 | 4.6 | New |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 991 | 4.8 | +1.7 |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 255 | 1.2 | -0.2 |
| | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | Vote No 2 Stop the War | 151 | 0.7 | New |
| | New Millennium Bean Party | New Millennium Bean Party | New Millennium Bean Party | New Millennium Bean Party | New Millennium Bean Party | 146 | 0.7 | New |
| | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | ProLife Alliance | 41 | 0.2 | New |
| | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | 56 | 0.3 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 68 | 0.3 | ±0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,837 | 33.0 | −13.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,705 | 34.2 | −6.0 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -6.9 | |
2003 Electorate: 60,523 Regional ballots rejected: 274

### Elections in the 1990s

Welsh Assembly Election 1999: Cardiff West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rhodri Morgan | 14,305 | 61.6 | N/A | 9,997 | 43.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Myr Boult | 3,446 | 14.8 | N/A | 4,000 | 17.3 | N/A |
| | Plaid Cymru | Eluned Bush | 3,402 | 14.7 | N/A | 4,838 | 20.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dewi H Garrow-Smith | 2,063 | 8.9 | N/A | 2,850 | 12.3 | N/A |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 726 | 3.1 | N/A |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 335 | 1.4 | N/A |
| | Independent (Alun Mathias) | Independent (Alun Mathias) | Independent (Alun Mathias) | Independent (Alun Mathias) | Independent (Alun Mathias) | 153 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | Socialist Alliance | Socialist Alliance | Socialist Alliance | Socialist Alliance | Socialist Alliance | 92 | 0.4 | N/A |
| | Natural Law | Natural Law | Natural Law | Natural Law | Natural Law | 72 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 69 | 0.3 | N/A |
| | Independent (Paul Phillips) | Independent (Paul Phillips) | Independent (Paul Phillips) | Independent (Paul Phillips) | Independent (Paul Phillips) | 14 | 0.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 10,859 | 46.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,216 | 40.2 |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
1999 Electorate: 57,582