# Joe Byrne (Canadian politician)

Joe Byrne (born December 26, 1961) served as leader of the New Democratic Party of Prince Edward Island from 2018 to 2020. He became leader on April 7, 2018, after defeating two other candidates on the first ballot of the NDP leadership convention.
Previously, Byrne was the federal NDP candidate in Charlottetown riding in the 2011, 2015 and 2019 federal elections, placing second behind Liberal candidate Sean Casey in 2015, and fourth in 2019.
Byrne was a missionary in the Dominican Republic for seven years and then served as director of youth ministry at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlottetown for 12 years. Since 2010, he has been community connections supervisor with the PEI Association of Newcomers to Canada, where he has helped plan the annual ‘DiverseCity’ festival.
Byrne also contested the 2019 Prince Edward Island general election in District 12, Charlottetown-Victoria Park, losing to Green Party candidate Karla Bernard. Byrne resigned as PEI NDP leader effective September 1, 2020.

## Electoral record

vte2023 Prince Edward Island general election: Charlottetown-Victoria Park :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Karla Bernard | 1,052 | 42.0 | +1.5 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Tim Keizer | 978 | 39.0 | +18.2 |
| | Liberal | Barb MacLeod | 293 | 11.7 | -16.2 |
| | New Democratic | Joe Byrne | 150 | 6.0 | -4.8 |
| | Island | Danni Moher | 32 | 1.3 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,505 | 100.0 |
| | Green hold | Green hold | Swing | Swing | -4.8 |
| Source(s) |||||||
vte2019 Prince Edward Island general election: Charlottetown-Victoria Park :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Green | Karla Bernard | 1,272 | 40.5 | +21.7 | $5,713.87 |
| | Liberal | Richard Brown | 875 | 27.9 | -11.5 | $8,745.20 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Tim Keizer | 656 | 20.9 | -6.6 | $8,352.69 |
| | New Democratic | Joe Byrne | 338 | 10.8 | -3.6 | $20,244.92 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 3,141 | 99.5 | | $11,564.28 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 17 | 0.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,158 | 74.55 | −6.1 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 4,236 |
| | Green gain from Liberal | Green gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | +14.4 |
| Source: Elections PEI |||||||
vte2019 Canadian federal election: Charlottetown :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Sean Casey | 8,812 | 44.26 | −12.01 | $81,859.21 |
| | Green | Darcie Lanthier | 4,648 | 23.35 | +17.57 | $36,415.23 |
| | Conservative | Robert A. Campbell | 4,040 | 20.29 | +5.47 | $46,459.01 |
| | New Democratic | Joe Byrne | 2,238 | 11.24 | −11.90 | $4,819.38 |
| | Christian Heritage | Fred MacLeod | 172 | 0.86 | New | $1,200.90 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 19,910 | 100.0 | | $86,542.92 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 274 | 1.36 | +0.89 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,184 | 73.45 | −2.14 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 27,480 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | −14.79 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
vte2015 Canadian federal election: Charlottetown :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Sean Casey | 11,910 | 56.27 | +16.79 | $133,567.53 |
| | New Democratic | Joe Byrne | 4,897 | 23.14 | –1.94 | $51,147.58 |
| | Conservative | Ron MacMillan | 3,136 | 14.82 | –17.89 | $73,560.00 |
| | Green | Becka Viau | 1,222 | 5.77 | +3.51 | $5,912.52 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 21,165 | 99.53 | | $170,107.74 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 99 | 0.47 | –0.14 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,264 | 76.24 | +6.14 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 27,891 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +9.36 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
vte2011 Canadian federal election: Charlottetown :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Sean Casey | 7,292 | 39.48 | -10.58 | $61,465.09 |
| | Conservative | Donna Profit | 6,040 | 32.71 | +0.60 | $48,556.35 |
| | New Democratic | Joe Byrne | 4,632 | 25.08 | +12.77 | $45,026.11 |
| | Green | Eliza Knockwood | 417 | 2.26 | -2.57 | $2,301.92 |
| | Christian Heritage | Baird Judson | 87 | 0.47 | -0.23 | $3,159.86 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 18,468 | 100.0 | – | $69,664.10 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 113 | 0.61 | -0.16 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 18,581 | 70.10 | +3.96 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 26,507 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -5.59 |
| Sources: |||||||