# 2023 Prince Edward Island general election

The 2023 Prince Edward Island general election was held to elect the members of the 67th General Assembly of Prince Edward Island on 3 April 2023. The election normally required by 2 October under Prince Edward Island's fixed election date legislation was called early by Premier Dennis King at his nomination meeting on 6 March.
The Progressive Conservatives under incumbent Premier Dennis King won a majority government, gaining a combined seven seats from the Liberal and Green parties. The Liberals won three seats and became the Official Opposition, replacing the Greens who held two of their seats; however, newly acclaimed Liberal leader Sharon Cameron challenged Green leader Peter Bevan-Baker for his own seat and lost, placing third behind Bevan-Baker and the PC candidate. Following the election, Cameron and Bevan-Baker resigned as leaders of their respective parties.
The New Democratic Party ran candidates in all 27 districts, and the Island Party officially registered for the first time since the 2011 election, running candidates in 11 districts. Neither party elected any members to the Legislature. Voter turnout of 68.5% was the province's lowest recorded for a general election since Elections PEI began keeping records in 1966.

## Background

Prince Edward Island's fixed election date legislation calls for a general election to be held prior to the first Monday of October in the fourth calendar year subsequent to the previous general election, which would have required an election to be held by 2 October. Instead, the election was called early for 3 April.

### Timeline

* 23 April 2019: General election held. The Progressive Conservative Party wins the most seats, while the incumbent Liberal Party falls to third place. The Green Party becomes the Opposition.
* 26 April 2019: Outgoing Premier Wade MacLauchlan announces intention to resign leadership of the Liberal Party upon appointment of an interim leader.
* 8 May 2019: Robert Mitchell is appointed interim Liberal leader.
* 9 May 2019: Dennis King's Progressive Conservative government is sworn in, following the resignation of Wade MacLauchlan's Liberal government.
* 13 June 2019: Deferred election date announced for Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park.
* 6 July 2019: Advance voting in Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park deferred election began, also took place on 8 and 12 July.
* 15 July 2019: Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park deferred election held, Progressive Conservative candidate Natalie Jameson is elected.
* 9 September 2019: Robert Mitchell resigns as interim Liberal leader.
* 16 September 2019: Sonny Gallant is appointed interim Liberal leader.
* 1 September 2020: Joe Byrne resigns as leader of the New Democratic Party.
* 23 April 2022: Michelle Neill is elected leader of the New Democratic Party.
* 19 November 2022: Sharon Cameron is acclaimed leader of the Liberal Party, being the only candidate in the party's leadership election.
* 6 March 2023: Dennis King is nominated as the PC candidate for Brackley-Hunter River, and announces that the election will be held on 3 April.
* 3 April 2023: General election held. Progressive Conservatives win a majority government.

### Changes in MLAs

Changes in seats held (2019–2023) :
| Seat | Before | Before | Before | Before | Change | Change | Change |
| Seat | Date | Member | Party | Reason | Date | Member | Party |
| Charlottetown-Winsloe | 3 September 2020 | Robert Mitchell | █ Liberal | Resigned from Legislature | 2 November 2020 | Zack Bell | █ PC |
| Cornwall-Meadowbank | 18 August 2021 | Heath MacDonald | █ Liberal | Resigned to run in Malpeque in the 2021 Canadian federal election. | 15 November 2021 | Mark McLane | █ PC |

## Unofficial results

Summary of the Legislative Assembly of Prince Edward Island election results :
| Party | Party | Party leader | Candidates | Seats | Seats | Seats | Seats | Popular vote | Popular vote | Popular vote |
| Party | Party | Party leader | Candidates | 2019 | Dissol. | 2023 | Change | # | % | Change |
| | Progressive Conservative | Dennis King | 27 | 13 | 15 | 22 | +9 | 41,828 | 55.92 | +19.19 |
| | Green | Peter Bevan-Baker | 25 | 8 | 8 | 2 | –6 | 16,134 | 21.57 | –8.99 |
| | Liberal | Sharon Cameron | 25 | 6 | 4 | 3 | –3 | 12,876 | 17.21 | –12.19 |
| | New Democratic | Michelle Neill | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3,359 | 4.49 | +1.53 |
| | Island | Cecile Sly (Ahava Kálnássy de Kálnás) | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 411 | 0.55 | +0.55 |
| | Independent | Independent | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 184 | 0.25 | –0.09 |
| 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 | | | |
| Total | Total | Total | 92 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 0 | | 100 | 0 |
| Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | Registered voters / turnout | | | |
Popular vote
PC
55.92%
Green
21.57%
Liberal
17.21%
New Democratic
4.49%
Others
0.80% :
Seats summary
PC
81.48%
Liberal
11.11%
Green
7.41% :

### Synopsis of results

* ↑ "2023 Province-Wide Summary". electionspei.ca. Elections PEI. Archived from the original on 19 April 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
* ↑ Neatby, Stu (5 April 2023). "P.E.I.'s 2023 election turnout was lowest in decades and there are no easy answers as to why". SaltWire.
* ↑ including spoilt ballots
* ↑ minor political parties receiving less than 1% of the national popular vote are aggregated under "Other"; independent candidates are aggregated separately
    = open seat
    = turnout is above provincial average
    = incumbent re-elected in same riding
    = incumbency arose from byelection gain
    = other incumbent renominated
Resulting composition of the 67th General Assembly of Prince Edward Island :
| Source | Source | Party | Party | Party | Party |
| Source | Source | PC | Lib | Grn | Total |
| Seats retained | Incumbents returned | 11 | 3 | 2 | 16 |
| Seats retained | Open seats held | 2 | | | 2 |
| Seats changing hands | Incumbents defeated | 4 | | | 4 |
| Seats changing hands | Open seats gained | 3 | | | 3 |
| Seats changing hands | Byelection gains held | 2 | | | 2 |
| Total | Total | 22 | 3 | 2 | 27 |

## Seats changing hands
### MLAs who lost their seats

| Party | Name | Riding | Year elected | Seat held by party since | Defeated by | Party |
| Green | Michele Beaton | Mermaid-Stratford | 2019 | 2019 | Jenn Redmond | Progressive Conservative |
| Green | Steve Howard | Summerside-South Drive | 2019 | 2019 | Barb Ramsay | Progressive Conservative |
| Green | Lynne Lund | Summerside-Wilmot | 2019 | 2019 | Tyler DesRoches | Progressive Conservative |
| Green | Trish Altass | Tyne Valley-Sherbrooke | 2019 | 2019 | Hilton MacLennan | Progressive Conservative |

### Open seats changing hands

| Party in 2019 | Candidate | Retiring incumbent | Constituency | Defeated by | Party |
| Green | Joanna Morrison | Hannah Bell | Charlottetown-Belvedere | Susie Dillon | Progressive Conservative |
| Green | Janice Harper | Ole Hammarlund | Charlottetown-Brighton | Rob Lantz | Progressive Conservative |
| Liberal | Pat MacLellan | Sonny Gallant | Evangeline-Miscouche | Gilles Arsenault | Progressive Conservative |

## Incumbent MLAs who did not seek re-election

The following MLAs announced that they would not run in the 2023 provincial election (Ole Hammarlund lost a contested nomination for his seat):
| Retiring incumbent | Retiring incumbent | Electoral district | Subsequent party nominee | Elected MLA |
| Colin LaVie | Progressive Conservative | Souris-Elmira | Robin Croucher | Robin Croucher |
| James Aylward | Progressive Conservative | Stratford-Keppoch | Jill Burridge | Jill Burridge |
| Hannah Bell | Green | Charlottetown-Belvedere | Joanna Morrison | Susie Dillon |
| Ole Hammarlund | Green | Charlottetown-Brighton | Janice Harper | Rob Lantz |
| Sonny Gallant | Liberal | Evangeline-Miscouche | Pat MacLellan | Gilles Arsenault |

## Candidates

* Party leaders' names are in bold; cabinet ministers' names are in italics.
* Incumbents who didn't run for re-election are denoted with a dagger †.

### Cardigan

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | PC | PC | Green | Green | Liberal | Liberal | NDP | NDP | Island | Island | Independent | Independent | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 4. Belfast-Murray River | | Darlene Compton | | Laverne MacInnes | | Katherine Bryson | | Michelle Hodgson | | | | | Darlene Compton |
| 2. Georgetown-Pownal | | Steven Myers | | Patrick Brothers | | Allister Veinot | | Edith Perry | | Lucy Robbins | | | Steven Myers |
| 5. Mermaid-Stratford | | Jenn Redmond | | Michele Beaton | | Gail MacDonald | | Lawrence Millar | | | | | Michele Beaton |
| 3. Montague-Kilmuir | | Cory Deagle | | Norma Dingwell | | Nick Sheppard | | Robert Lethbridge | | Gary Robbins | | Angela Barton | Cory Deagle |
| 7. Morell-Donagh | | Sidney MacEwen | | John Allen MacLean | | Terry MacDonald | | Kevin Trainor | | Christopher Landry | | | Sidney MacEwen |
| 1. Souris-Elmira | | Robin Croucher | | Boyd Leard | | Amber Dennis | | Gordon Gay | | Ahava Kalnassy de Kalnas | | | Colin LaVie† |
| 8. Stanhope-Marshfield | | Bloyce Thompson | | | | | | Marian White | | | | | Bloyce Thompson |
| 6. Stratford-Keppoch | | Jill Burridge | | Lana Beth Barkhouse | | Greg Arsenault | | Olalekam Faromika | | | | | James Aylward† |

### Malpeque

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | PC | PC | Green | Green | Liberal | Liberal | NDP | NDP | Island | Island | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 19. Borden-Kinkora | | Jamie Fox | | Matt MacFarlane | | | | Carole MacFarlane | | Paul Smitz | Jamie Fox |
| 15. Brackley-Hunter River | | Dennis King | | Greg Bradley | | Nicole Ford | | Leah-Jane Hayward | | | Dennis King |
| 16. Cornwall-Meadowbank | | Mark McLane | | Tayte Willows | | Don Leary | | Larry Hale | | | Mark McLane |
| 20. Kensington-Malpeque | | Matthew MacKay | | Hunter Guindon | | Richard Schroeter | | Maggie Larocque | | | Matthew MacKay |
| 17. New Haven-Rocky Point | | Donalda Docherty | | Peter Bevan-Baker | | Sharon Cameron | | Douglas Dahn | | Neil Emery | Peter Bevan-Baker |
| 18. Rustico-Emerald | | Brad Trivers | | Ranald MacFarlane | | Flory Sanderson | | David Wilson | | | Brad Trivers |

### Charlottetown

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | PC | PC | Green | Green | Liberal | Liberal | NDP | NDP | Island | Island | Independent | Independent | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 11. Charlottetown-Belvedere | | Susie Dillon | | Joanna Morrison | | Marcia Carroll | | Aidin Mousavian | | Jayne McAskill | | | Hannah Bell† |
| 13. Charlottetown-Brighton | | Rob Lantz | | Janice Harper | | Sandra Sunil | | Michelle Neill | | | | | Ole Hammarlund† (Lost re-nomination) |
| 9. Charlottetown-Hillsborough Park | | Natalie Jameson | | Adina Nault | | Dellon Paul | | Tristan Mitchell | | Cari Barbour | | | Natalie Jameson |
| 12. Charlottetown-Victoria Park | | Tim Keizer | | Karla Bernard | | Barb MacLeod | | Joe Byrne | | Danni Moher | | | Karla Bernard |
| 14. Charlottetown-West Royalty | | Kristi MacKay | | Nick LeClair | | Gord McNeilly | | Simone Webster | | Bill Cann | | Jessica Simmonds | Gord McNeilly |
| 10. Charlottetown-Winsloe | | Zack Bell | | Charles Sanderson | | Judy Hughes | | Campbell Webster | | | | Georgina Bassett | Zack Bell |

### Egmont

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | PC | PC | Green | Green | Liberal | Liberal | NDP | NDP | Island | Island | Independent | Independent | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| 26. Alberton-Bloomfield | | Ernie Hudson | | Ron McConnell | | Pat Murphy | | Kester Nurse | | | | | Ernie Hudson |
| 24. Evangeline-Miscouche | | Gilles Arsenault | | Jason Charette | | Pat MacLellan | | Charles Turriff | | | | | Sonny Gallant† |
| 25. O'Leary-Inverness | | Daniel MacDonald | | Richard Lush | | Robert Henderson | | Herb Dickieson | | | | | Robert Henderson |
| 22. Summerside-South Drive | | Barb Ramsay | | Steve Howard | | Nancy Beth Guptill | | Kathryn Yule | | | | | Steve Howard |
| 21. Summerside-Wilmot | | Tyler DesRoches | | Lynne Lund | | Don Reid | | Cassie MacKay | | Eriena O'Reilly | | | Lynne Lund |
| 27. Tignish-Palmer Road | | April Delaney | | | | Hal Perry | | Gail Kinch | | | | | Hal Perry |
| 23. Tyne Valley-Sherbrooke | | Hilton MacLennan | | Trish Altass | | Wayne Cobb | | Carol Rybinski | | | | Wayne Biggar | Trish Altass |

## Opinion polls

The following is a list of scientific opinion polls of published voter intentions.
| Polling firm | Date(s) conducted | Link | PC | Green | Liberal | NDP | Sample size | Lead |
| General election results | 3 April 2023 | | 55.9 | 21.6 | 17.2 | 4.5 | 74,792 | 34.3 |
| Forum Research | 31 March 2023 | | 47 | 28 | 20 | 4 | 424 | 19 |
| Mainstreet Research | 27 – 28 March 2023 | | 50.4 | 21.9 | 22.3 | 5.4 | 962 | 28.1 |
| Mainstreet Research | 6 – 7 March 2023 | | 58.9 | 14.3 | 23.2 | 3.6 | 515 | 35.7 |
| | 6 March 2023 | Dissolution of the 66th PEI General Assembly, campaign begins | Dissolution of the 66th PEI General Assembly, campaign begins | Dissolution of the 66th PEI General Assembly, campaign begins | Dissolution of the 66th PEI General Assembly, campaign begins | Dissolution of the 66th PEI General Assembly, campaign begins | Dissolution of the 66th PEI General Assembly, campaign begins | Dissolution of the 66th PEI General Assembly, campaign begins |
| Narrative Research | 13 February – 2 March 2023 | | 49 | 22 | 19 | 9 | 420 | 27 |
| Narrative Research | 2 – 23 November 2022 | | 49 | 25 | 20 | 4 | 400 | 24 |
| | 19 November 2022 | Sharon Cameron is elected leader of the Liberal party | Sharon Cameron is elected leader of the Liberal party | Sharon Cameron is elected leader of the Liberal party | Sharon Cameron is elected leader of the Liberal party | Sharon Cameron is elected leader of the Liberal party | Sharon Cameron is elected leader of the Liberal party | Sharon Cameron is elected leader of the Liberal party |
| Narrative Research | 9 – 16 August 2022 | | 55 | 22 | 18 | 4 | 300 | 33 |
| Narrative Research | 4 – 24 May 2022 | | 50 | 21 | 20 | 8 | 300 | 29 |
| Narrative Research | 9 – 22 February 2022 | | 66 | 15 | 14 | 4 | 300 | 51 |
| Narrative Research | 3 – 28 November 2021 | | 51 | 19 | 21 | 8 | 600 | 30 |
| Narrative Research | 9 – 25 August 2021 | | 48 | 28 | 17 | 7 | 600 | 20 |
| Narrative Research | 18 – 28 May 2021 | | 53 | 23 | 19 | 4 | 600 | 30 |
| Narrative Research | 2 – 16 February 2021 | | 54 | 21 | 17 | 4 | 300 | 33 |
| Narrative Research | 11 – 29 November 2020 | | 61 | 18 | 19 | 2 | 300 | 42 |
| Narrative Research | 4 – 19 August 2020 | | 48 | 25 | 23 | 4 | 301 | 23 |
| Narrative Research | 29 April – 17 May 2020 | | 57 | 22 | 22 | 1 | 216 | 32 |
| MQO Research | 3 – 10 March 2020 | | 41 | 29 | 24 | 6 | 283 | 12 |
| Narrative Research | 3 – 19 February 2020 | | 45 | 28 | 21 | 6 | 207 | 17 |
| Narrative Research | 1 – 22 November 2019 | | 38 | 29 | 26 | 6 | 600 | 9 |
| Narrative Research | 1 – 22 August 2019 | | 45 | 37 | 16 | 1 | 300 | 9 |
| MQO Research | 31 July – 6 August 2019 | | 40 | 32 | 23 | 2 | 400 | 8 |
| Narrative Research | 6 – 23 May 2019 | | 43 | 36 | 17 | 3 | 300 | 7 |
| General election results | 23 April 2019 | | 36.7 | 30.6 | 29.4 | 3.0 | 80,329 | 5.9 |
| Polling firm | Date(s) conducted | Link | | | | | Sample size | Lead |
| Polling firm | Date(s) conducted | Link | PC | Green | Liberal | NDP | Sample size | Lead |