# Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Senedd constituency)

Carmarthen East and Dinefwr (Welsh: Dwyrain Caerfyrddin a Dinefwr) is a constituency of the Senedd. It elects one Member of the Senedd by the first past the post method of election. It is one of eight constituencies in the Mid and West Wales 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.
It had been held since its formation in 1999 by the Plaid Cymru politician, Rhodri Glyn Thomas until his retirement in 2016. It is now held by Plaid Cymru politician Adam Price, who became leader of the party in 2018.

## Boundaries
### 1999 to 2007

The constituency was created for the first election to the Assembly, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Westminster constituency. It was a Dyfed constituency, one of five constituencies covering, and entirely within, the preserved county of Dyfed.
The other four Dyfed constituencies were Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Llanelli and Preseli Pembrokeshire. They were all within the Mid and West Wales electoral region.
The region consisted of the eight constituencies of Brecon and Radnorshire, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Llanelli, Meirionnydd Nant Conwy, Montgomeryshire and Preseli Pembrokeshire.

### From 2007

The constituency includes the whole of 41 Carmarthenshire communities (Abergwili; Ammanford; Betws; Cenarth; Cilycwm; Cwmamman; Cynwyl Gaeo; Dyffryn Cennen; Gorslas; Llanarthney; Llanddarog; Llanddeusant; Llandeilo; Llandovery; Llandybie; Llandyfaelog; Llanegwad; Llanfair-ar-y-bryn; Llanfihangel Aberbythych; Llanfihangel-ar-Arth; Llanfihangel Rhos-y-Corn; Llanfynydd; Llangadog; Llangathen; Llangeler; Llangunnor; Llangyndeyrn; Llanllawddog; Llanllwni; Llansadwrn; Llansawel; Llanwrda; Llanybydder; Llanycrwys; Manordeilo and Salem; Myddfai; Newcastle Emlyn; Pencarreg; Quarter Bach; St Ishmael; Talley).
Boundaries changed for the 2007 Assembly election. Carmarthen East and Dinefwr remains one of five Dyfed constituencies and one of eight constituencies in the Mid and West Wales region. However, boundaries within Dyfed changed, to realign them with local government ward boundaries and to reduce the disparities in the sizes of constituency electorates, and the boundaries of the region changed, to align them with the boundaries of preserved counties.
The other four Dyfed constituencies are, again, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Llanelli and Preseli Pembrokeshire, all within the Mid and West Wales electoral region.
The region consists of the constituencies of Brecon and Radnorshire, Carmarthen East and Dinefwr, Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Llanelli, Montgomeryshire and Preseli Pembrokeshire.
For Westminster purposes, the same new constituency boundaries became effective for the 2010 United Kingdom general election.

## 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.

## Assembly members and Members of the Senedd

| Election | Election | Member | Party |
| | 1999 | Rhodri Glyn Thomas | Plaid Cymru |
| | 2016 | Adam Price | Plaid Cymru |

## Elections
### Elections in the 2020s

2021 Senedd election: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Plaid Cymru | Adam Price | 15,261 | 45.9 | -2.6 | 13,403 | 40.0 | -3.2 |
| | Labour | Robert James | 8,448 | 25.41 | +6.2 | 8,531 | 25.5 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative | Havard Hughes | 7,751 | 23.31 | +8.2 | 7,125 | 21.3 | +6.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Monica French | 975 | 2.93 | +0.1 | 732 | 2.2 | -0.9 |
| | Reform UK | Karl Pollard | 818 | 2.46 | New | 350 | 1.0 | New |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 1,320 | 3.9 | +1.2 |
| | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | 785 | 2.3 | -1.0 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 508 | 1.5 | -9.9 |
| | Christian | Christian | Christian | Christian | Christian | 174 | 0.5 | New |
| | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | Freedom Alliance (UK) | 163 | 0.5 | New |
| | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | Gwlad | 154 | 0.5 | New |
| | Propel | Propel | Propel | Propel | Propel | 128 | 0.4 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 92 | 0.3 | +0.1 |
| | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | TUSC | 26 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,813 | 20.48 | −8.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 33,253 | 51.94 | −1.8 |
| | Plaid Cymru hold | Plaid Cymru hold | Swing | | |
| Notes ↑ Incumbent member for this constituency |||||||||

### Elections in the 2010s

Welsh Assembly Election 2016: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Plaid Cymru | Adam Price | 14,427 | 48.5 | +3.6 | 12,825 | 43.2 | +3.2 |
| | Labour | Steve Jeacock | 5,727 | 19.2 | -10.8 | 5,930 | 20.0 | -6.6 |
| | Conservative | Matthew Paul | 4,489 | 15.1 | -5.1 | 4,288 | 14.5 | -3.2 |
| | UKIP | Neil Hamilton | 3,474 | 11.7 | New | 3,393 | 11.4 | +7.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | William Powell | 837 | 2.8 | -2.0 | 919 | 3.1 | -0.8 |
| | Green | Freya Amsbury | 797 | 2.7 | New | 787 | 2.7 | -1.2 |
| | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | Abolish | 973 | 3.3 | New |
| | People First (Wales) | People First (Wales) | People First (Wales) | People First (Wales) | People First (Wales) | 159 | 0.5 | New |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | Monster Raving Loony | 122 | 0.4 | New |
| | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | 116 | 0.4 | -0.3 |
| | Association of Welsh Independents | Association of Welsh Independents | Association of Welsh Independents | Association of Welsh Independents | Association of Welsh Independents | 83 | 0.3 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 68 | 0.2 | -0.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,700 | 29.3 | +14.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,751 | 53.7 | +2.4 |
| | Plaid Cymru hold | Plaid Cymru hold | Swing | +7.2 | |
Welsh Assembly Election 2011: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Plaid Cymru | Rhodri Glyn Thomas | 12,501 | 44.9 | -8.6 | 11,129 | 40.0 | -4.3 |
| | Labour | Antony Jones | 8,353 | 30.0 | +5.4 | 7,419 | 26.6 | +5.1 |
| | Conservative | Henrietta Hensher | 5,635 | 20.2 | +4.2 | 4,941 | 17.7 | +3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Will Griffiths | 1,339 | 4.8 | -1.2 | 1,085 | 3.9 | -0.4 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 1,088 | 3.9 | -0.3 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 1,058 | 3.8 | +0.6 |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 470 | 1.7 | +0.6 |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 392 | 1.4 | -1.2 |
| | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | 194 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 71 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,148 | 14.9 | −14.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 27,828 | 51.3 | −3.6 |
| | Plaid Cymru hold | Plaid Cymru hold | Swing | -7.1 | |
Regional ballots rejected: 132

### Elections in the 2000s

Welsh Assembly Election 2007: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Plaid Cymru | Rhodri Glyn Thomas | 15,655 | 53.5 | +5.0 | 12,956 | 44.3 | +3.2 |
| | Labour | Kevin Madge | 7,186 | 24.6 | -6.6 | 6,282 | 21.5 | -7.6 |
| | Conservative | Henrietta Hensher | 4,676 | 16.0 | +2.6 | 4,292 | 14.7 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ian Walton | 1,752 | 6.0 | -1.0 | 1,244 | 4.3 | -2.6 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 1,219 | 4.2 | -+0.4 |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 948 | 3.2 | +0.8 |
| | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | BNP | 756 | 2.6 | New |
| | Gwynoro Jones - Independent | Gwynoro Jones - Independent | Gwynoro Jones - Independent | Gwynoro Jones - Independent | Gwynoro Jones - Independent | 423 | 1.4 | New |
| | Caroline Evans - Independent | Caroline Evans - Independent | Caroline Evans - Independent | Caroline Evans - Independent | Caroline Evans - Independent | 390 | 1.3 | New |
| | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | Socialist Labour | 321 | 1.1 | New |
| | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | Welsh Christian | 194 | 0.7 | New |
| | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | Communist | 91 | 0.3 | New |
| | Veritas | Veritas | Veritas | Veritas | Veritas | 79 | 0.3 | New |
| | CPA | CPA | CPA | CPA | CPA | 40 | 0.1 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 8,469 | 28.9 | +11.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 29,269 | 55.7 | +6.2 |
| | Plaid Cymru hold | Plaid Cymru hold | Swing | +5.9 | |
Welsh Assembly Election 2003: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Plaid Cymru | Rhodri Glyn Thomas | 12,969 | 48.5 | -4.6 | 11,021 | 41.1 | -12.1 |
| | Labour | Anthony Cooper | 8,355 | 31.2 | -0.5 | 7,810 | 29.1 | +3.8 |
| | Conservative | Harri Lloyd Davies | 3,576 | 13.4 | +4.9 | 3,253 | 12.1 | +2.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Steffan John | 1,866 | 7.0 | +0.3 | 1,859 | 6.9 | +0.9 |
| | Green | Green | Green | Green | Green | 1,018 | 3.8 | Unknown |
| | Mid and West Wales Pensioners | Mid and West Wales Pensioners | Mid and West Wales Pensioners | Mid and West Wales Pensioners | Mid and West Wales Pensioners | 848 | 3.2 | New |
| | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | UKIP | 644 | 2.4 | New |
| | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | Cymru Annibynnol | 188 | 0.7 | New |
| | Vote 2 Stop the War | Vote 2 Stop the War | Vote 2 Stop the War | Vote 2 Stop the War | Vote 2 Stop the War | 103 | 0.4 | New |
| | Prolife Alliance | Prolife Alliance | Prolife Alliance | Prolife Alliance | Prolife Alliance | 51 | 0.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,614 | 17.3 | −4.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 26,766 | 49.5 | −11.5 |
| | Plaid Cymru hold | Plaid Cymru hold | Swing | -2.1 | |
2003 Electorate: 54,110 Regional ballots rejected: 239

### Elections in the 1990s

Welsh Assembly Election 1999: Carmarthen East and Dinefwr :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Constituency | Constituency | Constituency | Regional | Regional | Regional |
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Plaid Cymru | Rhodri Glyn Thomas | 17,328 | 53.1 | N/A | 17,469 | 53.3 | N/A |
| | Labour | Chris Llewelyn | 10,348 | 31.7 | N/A | 8,253 | 25.3 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Helen Stoddart | 2,776 | 8.5 | N/A | 3,168 | 9.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Juliana Hughes | 2,202 | 6.7 | N/A | 1,961 | 6.0 | N/A |
| | Other list parties | Other list parties | Other list parties | Other list parties | Other list parties | 1,782 | 5.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,980 | 21.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 32,654 | 61.0 |
| | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) | Plaid Cymru win (new seat) |