# 1974 Nova Scotia general election

The 1974 Nova Scotia general election was held on 2 April 1974 to elect members of the 51st House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Liberal Party.

## Results
### Results by party

| 31 | 12 | 3 |
| Liberal | Progressive Conservative | New Democratic |
Official results :
| Party | Party | Party leader | # of candidates | Seats | Seats | Seats | Seats | Popular vote | Popular vote | Popular vote |
| Party | Party | Party leader | # of candidates | 1970 | Dissolution | Elected | Change | # | % | Change (pp) |
| | Liberal | Gerald Regan | 46 | 23 | 24 | 31 | +8 | 206,648 | 47.57% | +1.94% |
| | Progressive Conservative | John Buchanan | 46 | 21 | 19 | 12 | -9 | 166,388 | 38.31% | -8.12% |
| | New Democratic | Jeremy Akerman | 46 | 2 | 2 | 3 | +1 | 55,902 | 12.87% | +6.28% |
| | Independent | Independent | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2,220 | 0.51% | +0.13% |
| | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | 0 | | | | | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 431,158 | 99.26% | +0.23% |
| Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | Blank and invalid ballots | 3,205 | 0.74% | -0.23% |
| Total | Total | Total | 144 | 46 | 46 | 46 | – | 434,363 | 100.00% | – |
| Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | 507,190 | 77.89% | +0.57% |
Popular vote
Liberal
47.57%
PC
38.31%
New Democratic
12.87%
Independent
0.51% :
Seats summary
Liberal
67.39%
PC
26.09%
New Democratic
6.52% :

### Results by region

| Party name | Party name | Party name | HRM | Cape Breton | Annapolis Valley | South Shore | Fundy-Northeast | Central Nova | Total |
| Parties winning seats in the legislature ||||||||||
| | Liberal | Seats: | 8 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 31 |
| | Liberal | Popular vote: | 48.73% | 42.68% | 51.25% | 51.37% | 48.19% | 48.05% | 47.57% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Seats: | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Popular vote: | 38.34% | 32.67% | 42.11% | 39.63% | 42.33% | 41.57% | 38.31% |
| | New Democratic Party | Seats: | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| | New Democratic Party | Popular vote: | 12.93% | 24.21% | 6.64% | 6.48% | 9.06% | 10.37% | 12.87% |
| Parties not winning seats in the legislature ||||||||||
| | Independent | Popular vote: | – | 0.45% | – | 2.52% | 0.42% | – | 0.51% |
| Total seats: | Total seats: | Total seats: | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 46 |

## Retiring incumbents
### Liberal

* James L. Connolly, Halifax Chebucto
* Ralph F. Fiske, Pictou Centre
* A. Lloyd MacDonald, Pictou East
* George Riley, Halifax Cobequid

### Progressive Conservative

* Gerald Doucet, Richmond
* Floyd MacDonald, Queens
* George Isaac Smith, Colchester
* Victor Thorpe, Kings North
* Maurice L. Zinck, Lunenburg East

## Nominated candidates

Legend bold denotes party leader † denotes an incumbent who is not running for re-election or was defeated in nomination contest

### Valley

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Independent | Independent | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Annapolis East | | Hank De Boer 2,583 43.48% | | Gerry Sheehy 3,134 52.76% | | Murray A. Bent 223 3.75% | | | Gerry Sheehy |
| Annapolis West | | Peter M. Nicholson 2,636 53.00% | | J.R. Kerr 2,150 43.22% | | David N. Lowe 188 3.78% | | | Peter M. Nicholson |
| Clare | | Benoit Comeau 2,959 61.07% | | Vincent L. Doucet 1,218 25.14% | | Jean L. Belliveau 668 13.79% | | | Benoit Comeau |
| Digby | | Joseph H. Casey 3,525 65.90% | | John R. Nichols 1,590 29.73% | | C.B. Haight 234 4.37% | | | Joseph H. Casey |
| Hants West | | Robert D. Lindsay 4,148 48.07% | | Ron Russell 3,707 42.96% | | Gary E. Tonks 774 8.97% | | | Robert D. Lindsay |
| Kings North | | Glenn Ells 3,536 49.39% | | David J. Waterbury 3,124 43.63% | | George W. Graves 500 6.98% | | | Victor Thorpe† |
| Kings South | | Edgar K. Aston 1,999 33.11% | | Harry How 3,576 59.22% | | John P. O'Meara 463 7.67% | | | Harry How |
| Kings West | | Frank Bezanson 5,031 58.34% | | Kathleen E. Howlett 3,206 37.23% | | Donald Wolsey 374 4.34% | | | Frank Bezanson |

### South Shore

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Independent | Independent | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Lunenburg Centre | | James Kinley 3,878 39.08% | | Bruce Cochran 4,086 41.18% | | Ralph E. Deamond 421 4.24% | | Walton Cook 1,538 15.50% | Walton Cook |
| Lunenburg East | | Joseph Saunders 1,963 41.06% | | Ron Barkhouse 2,536 53.04% | | Anthony W.E. Zinck 282 5.90% | | | Maurice L. Zinck† |
| Lunenburg West | | Maurice DeLory 3,635 54.92% | | Ella Spence 2,643 39.93% | | William R. Griswold 341 5.15% | | | Maurice DeLory |
| Queens | | R. Keith Wyer 2,649 40.58% | | John Wickwire 2,905 44.50% | | A.J. d'Entremont 974 14.92% | | | Floyd MacDonald† |
| Shelburne | | Harold Huskilson 4,119 47.58% | | Ron Hatfield 3,732 43.11% | | Dewey Waybret 806 9.31% | | | Harold Huskilson |
| Yarmouth | | Fraser Mooney 8,098 32.87% | | Martin Cottreau 4,029 16.35% | | Lawrence Dukeshire 637 2.59% | | | Fraser Mooney |
| Yarmouth | | Hugh Tinkham 7,068 28.69% | | George A. Snow 4,300 17.45% | | Leslie Babin 504 2.05% | | | George A. Snow |

### Fundy-Northeast

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Independent | Independent | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Colchester | | Melinda MacLean 9,514 25.87% | | Gerald Ritcey 7,182 19.53% | | Eda Forsythe 1,515 4.12% | | Bob Kirk 159 0.43% | Gerald Ritcey |
| Colchester | | Floyd Tucker 8,662 23.55% | | Ron Giffin 7,974 21.68% | | Allan Marchbank 1,771 4.82% | | | George Isaac Smith† |
| Cumberland Centre | | Guy Brown 2,283 52.16% | | Raymond M. Smith 1,601 36.58% | | Elory Tabor 493 11.26% | | | Raymond M. Smith |
| Cumberland East | | Ronald S. MacNeil 3,490 40.82% | | Roger Stuart Bacon 4,125 48.25% | | David W. D'Aubin 934 10.93% | | | Roger Stuart Bacon |
| Cumberland West | | W.J. Brown 2,205 45.86% | | D. L. George Henley 2,323 48.32% | | A. Bradley Colpitts 280 5.82% | | | D. L. George Henley |
| Hants East | | Jack Hawkins 3,322 49.88% | | Avard Ettinger 2,690 40.39% | | Clair White 549 8.24% | | John G. Stanhope Sr. 99 1.49% | Jack Hawkins |

### Halifax/Dartmouth/Eastern Shore

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Independent | Independent | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Halifax Atlantic | | Darrell E. Wentzell 4,380 35.90% | | John Buchanan 6,229 51.06% | | Colin Campbell 1,591 13.04% | | | John Buchanan |
| Halifax Chebucto | | Walter Fitzgerald 5,608 53.47% | | Dennis Ashworth 3,233 30.82% | | Burris Devanney 1,648 15.71% | | | James L. Connolly† |
| Halifax Citadel | | Ronald Wallace 4,299 48.73% | | Richard MacLean 3,071 34.81% | | Michael Bradfield 1,452 16.46% | | | Ronald Wallace |
| Halifax Cobequid | | George Doucet 8,691 49.57% | | Silvia Hudson 6,878 39.23% | | George C. Cann 1,964 11.20% | | | George Riley† |
| Halifax Cornwallis | | George M. Mitchell 5,391 47.52% | | George T.H. Cooper 3,833 33.79% | | Muriel Duckworth 2,121 18.70% | | | George M. Mitchell |
| Halifax Eastern Shore | | Alexander Garnet Brown 6,437 52.90% | | Hanson D. Josey 4,205 34.56% | | John T. Kennedy 1,527 12.55% | | | Alexander Garnet Brown |
| Halifax Needham | | Gerald Regan 4,364 61.49% | | James H. Vaughan 1,854 26.12% | | Martin Dolin 879 12.39% | | | Gerald Regan |
| Halifax-St. Margaret's | | Leonard L. Pace 7,238 47.87% | | George C. Piercey 6,084 40.24% | | Richard Rogers 1,798 11.89% | | | Leonard L. Pace |
| Dartmouth North | | Glen M. Bagnell 7,091 51.41% | | Richard L. Weldon 4,839 35.08% | | Joseph Bouchard 1,863 13.51% | | | Glen M. Bagnell |
| Dartmouth South | | D. Scott MacNutt 5,871 44.24% | | Roland J. Thornhill 6,491 48.91% | | Norman H. Dares 908 6.84% | | | D. Scott MacNutt |

### Central Nova

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Independent | Independent | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Antigonish | | Bill Gillis 5,141 56.88% | | Ronald A. MacDonald 3,172 35.09% | | Patrick D. Gough 726 8.03% | | | Bill Gillis |
| Guysborough | | A.M. "Sandy" Cameron 3,688 55.66% | | Fenwick MacIntosh 2,652 40.02% | | William Sugg 286 4.32% | | | A.M. "Sandy" Cameron |
| Pictou Centre | | Lawrence MacKinnon 4,954 42.54% | | Fraser MacLean 5,100 43.80% | | Dave MacKenzie 1,591 13.66% | | | Ralph F. Fiske† |
| Pictou East | | J. Lester MacLellan 2,945 42.09% | | Donald Cameron 3,217 45.98% | | Joanne E. Kohout 835 11.93% | | | A. Lloyd MacDonald† |
| Pictou West | | Dan Reid 2,624 43.99% | | Harvey Veniot 2,602 43.62% | | Charles Parker 739 12.39% | | | Harvey Veniot |

### Cape Breton

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | Liberal | Liberal | PC | PC | NDP | NDP | Independent | Independent | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Cape Breton Centre | | Albert J. Boudreau 1,703 21.76% | | Mike Laffin 2,743 35.05% | | Buddy MacEachern 3,380 43.19% | | | Mike Laffin |
| Cape Breton East | | Vincent Kachafanas 3,443 30.83% | | Frederick Adshade 1,611 14.43% | | Jeremy Akerman 5,929 53.10% | | Archie MacDonald 183 1.64% | Jeremy Akerman |
| Cape Breton North | | Barry LeBlanc 4,155 33.57% | | Tom MacKeough 4,889 39.50% | | Len J. Arsenault 3,333 26.93% | | | Tom MacKeough |
| Cape Breton Nova | | Ronald DiPenta 1,275 17.19% | | Percy Gaum 2,334 31.46% | | Paul MacEwan 3,809 51.35% | | | Paul MacEwan |
| Cape Breton South | | Vince MacLean 6,487 50.87% | | John Francis Burke 3,721 29.18% | | Earl Johnston 2,441 19.14% | | Angus Currie 102 0.80% | John Francis Burke |
| Cape Breton West | | Allan Sullivan 6,281 53.46% | | Kenneth Andrews 3,199 27.23% | | Frank Boone 2,269 19.31% | | | Allan Sullivan |
| Inverness | | William MacEachern 5,606 26.50% | | Norman J. MacLean 4,832 22.84% | | Donald MacKay 621>br>2.94% | | Catherine M. Haig 139 0.66% | Norman J. MacLean |
| Inverness | | John Archie MacKenzie 5,403 25.54% | | Joseph Shannon 4,088 19.32% | | Winston Bennett 466 2.20% | | | John Archie MacKenzie |
| Richmond | | Gaston LeBlanc 3,697 57.62% | | Joseph Stewart 2,138 33.32% | | Stanley Pashkoski 581 9.06% | | | Gerald Doucet† |
| Victoria | | Maynard MacAskill 2,573 59.44% | | Fisher Hudson 1,542 35.62% | | Colin A. Gillis 214 4.94% | | | Fisher Hudson |