# Nanaimo—Cowichan

Nanaimo—Cowichan is a former federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, which was represented in the House of Commons of Canada between 1988 and 2015. It was located on Vancouver Island.

## Demographics

| Population, 2001 | 116,754 |
| Electors | 86,804 |
| Area (km$^2$) | |
| Population density (people per km$^2$) | |

## Geography

It included, together with more rural areas, the southern portion of the city of Nanaimo, the city of Duncan, the town of Ladysmith, and the District of North Cowichan.

## History

The electoral district was created in 1987 from parts of Nanaimo–Alberni and Cowichan—Malahat—The Islands ridings. The 2012 electoral redistribution saw this riding dissolved into the new ridings of Cowichan—Malahat—Langford and Nanaimo—Ladysmith for the 2015 election.

### Members of Parliament

This riding has elected the following members of Parliament:
| Parliament | Years | Member | Party |
| Riding created from Nanaimo—Alberni and Cowichan—Malahat—The Islands |||||
| 34th | 1988–1993 | David Stupich | New Democratic |
| 35th | 1993–1997 | Bob Ringma | Reform |
| 36th | 1997–2000 | Reed Elley | Reform |
| 36th | 2000–2000 | Reed Elley | Alliance |
| 37th | 2000–2003 | Reed Elley | Alliance |
| 37th | 2003–2004 | Reed Elley | Conservative |
| 38th | 2004–2006 | Jean Crowder | New Democratic |
| 39th | 2006–2008 | Jean Crowder | New Democratic |
| 40th | 2008–2011 | Jean Crowder | New Democratic |
| 41st | 2011–2015 | Jean Crowder | New Democratic |
| Riding dissolved into Cowichan—Malahat—Langford and Nanaimo—Ladysmith |||||

## Election results

2011 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | New Democratic | Jean Crowder | 31,272 | 48.90 | +3.72 |
| | Conservative | John Koury | 24,497 | 38.31 | +0.72 |
| | Green | Anne Marie Benoit | 5,005 | 7.83 | -1.73 |
| | Liberal | Brian Fillmore | 3,007 | 4.70 | -2.67 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Jack East | 170 | 0.27 | -0.12 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 63,951 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 162 | 0.25 | -0.01 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 64,113 | 65.16 | +1.71 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 98,399 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | +1.50 |
2008 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Jean Crowder | 27,454 | 45.18 | -1.59 | $77,175 |
| | Conservative | Reed Elley | 22,844 | 37.59 | +5.47 | $85,776 |
| | Green | Christina Knighton | 5,816 | 9.56 | +4.48 | $6,368 |
| | Liberal | Brian Scott | 4,483 | 7.37 | -7.94 | $19,279 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Jack East | 182 | 0.39 | +0.15 | |
| Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | Total valid votes/Expense limit | 60,779 | 100.0 | | $94,753 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 156 | 0.26 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 60,935 | 63.45 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | -3.53 |
2006 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Jean Crowder | 28,558 | 46.77 | +3.06 | $58,554 |
| | Conservative | Norm Sowden | 19,615 | 32.12 | -0.65 | |
| | Liberal | Brian Scott | 9,352 | 15.31 | -0.71 | $14,209 |
| | Green | Harold Henn | 3,107 | 5.08 | -1.53 | $1,476 |
| | Canadian Action | Jeff Warr | 227 | 0.45 | -0.01 | $913 |
| | Marxist–Leninist | Jack East | 148 | 0.24 | – | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 61,057 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 135 | 0.22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 61,192 |
| | New Democratic hold | New Democratic hold | Swing | Swing | +1.86 |
2004 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | New Democratic | Jean Crowder | 25,243 | 43.71 | +26.75 | $63,401 |
| | Conservative | Dave Quist | 18,928 | 32.77 | -21.04 | $62,967 |
| | Liberal | Lloyd Macilquham | 9,257 | 16.02 | -5.39 | $16,671 |
| | Green | Harold Henn | 3,822 | 6.61 | +4.26 | |
| | Canadian Action | Jeffrey Ian Warr | 270 | 0.46 | -2.49 | |
| | Independent | Brunie Brunie | 229 | 0.39 | – | $635 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 57,749 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 147 | 0.25 | -0.07 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 57,896 | 66.70 |
| | New Democratic gain from Conservative | New Democratic gain from Conservative | Swing | Swing | +23.90 |
| Conservative vote is compared to the total of the Canadian Alliance vote and Progressive Conservative vote in the 2000 election. |||||||
2000 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Alliance | Reed Elley | 23,641 | 46.63 | +1.68 | $50,405 |
| | Liberal | Marshall Cooper | 10,857 | 21.41 | +0.28 | $24,987 |
| | New Democratic | Garth Mirau | 8,599 | 16.96 | -9.02 | $33,131 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Cynthia-Mary Hemsworth | 3,640 | 7.18 | +2.96 | $993 |
| | Canadian Action | Doug Catley | 1,500 | 2.95 | +1.53 | $2,916 |
| | Marijuana | Meaghan Walker-Williams | 1,262 | 2.48 | – | |
| | Green | Norm Abbey | 1,196 | 2.35 | +0.52 | $990 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 50,695 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 164 | 0.32 | -0.09 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,859 | 64.56 | -0.65 |
| | Alliance hold | Alliance hold | Swing | Swing | +0.70 |
| Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in the 1997 election. |||||||
1997 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Reform | Reed Elley | 22,685 | 44.95 | +5.12 | $44,831 |
| | New Democratic | Garth Mirau | 13,112 | 25.98 | +3.53 | $58,293 |
| | Liberal | Michael Garland Coleman | 10,663 | 21.13 | -0.57 | $19,351 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Lindsay Parcells | 2,131 | 4.22 | -4.51 | $4,777 |
| | Green | Karen Margo Shillington | 928 | 1.83 | – | $996 |
| | Canadian Action | Doug Catley | 720 | 1.42 | – | $1,783 |
| | Natural Law | Frank S. James Malaka | 224 | 0.44 | -0.35 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 50,463 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 206 | 0.41 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 50,669 | 65.21 |
| | Reform hold | Reform hold | Swing | Swing | +0.80 |
1993 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Reform | Bob Ringma | 25,052 | 39.83 | +33.84 |
| | New Democratic | David Stupich | 14,117 | 22.45 | -26.67 |
| | Liberal | Ron Cantelon | 13,647 | 21.70 | +12.28 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Bruce Wilbee | 5,491 | 8.73 | -25.58 |
| | National | Larry Whaley | 3,407 | 5.42 | – |
| | Natural Law | Cliff Brown | 497 | 0.79 | – |
| | Libertarian | Mark Alan Chase | 245 | 0.39 | – |
| | Independent | R. W. Jackson | 163 | 0.26 | – |
| | Independent | Bruce Tober | 158 | 0.25 | – |
| | Canada Party | Neall Lenard | 115 | 0.18 | – |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 62,892 | 100.0 |
| | Reform gain from New Democratic | Reform gain from New Democratic | Swing | Swing | +30.26 |
1988 Canadian federal election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | New Democratic | David Stupich | 27,177 | 49.12 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Ted Schellenberg | 18,984 | 34.31 |
| | Liberal | Denis St. Denis | 5,210 | 9.42 |
| | Reform | George Richard Wrean | 3,314 | 5.99 |
| | Green | Seymour Trieger | 484 | 0.87 |
| | Communist | Deborah MacDonald | 164 | 0.30 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 55,333 | 100.0 |
| This riding was created from parts of Nanaimo—Alberni and Cowichan—Malahat—The Islands, which elected a Progressive Conservative and a New Democrat, respectively, in the last election. Ted Schellenberg was the incumbent from Nanaimo—Alberni. |||||||