# Larry Duchesne

Larry Duchesne (born 1949) is a Canadian politician, who was leader of the Prince Edward Island New Democratic Party from 1991 to 1995.
A teacher and former journalist from Kinkora, Prince Edward Island, he won the party leadership on February 3, 1991, over Mike Leclair and Judy Whittaker. He had previously been a candidate for the party in provincial elections in both Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia.
He led the party into the 1993 election, and was the party's assemblyman candidate in 4th Prince, but won no seats on election day. Following the election loss, he took a three-month unpaid leave of absence from his position as leader, so that he could collect unemployment benefits and thus save the party money through not having to pay his leader's salary.
He resigned as party leader in November 1994, and was succeeded in 1995 by Herb Dickieson.
He ran as the party's candidate in the new district of Parkdale-Belvedere in the 1996 election, but was again not elected to the legislature. In the 1997 federal election, he ran in the district of Cardigan, but did not win the seat.
Duchesne was the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party candidate in Cumberland South for the 2013 Nova Scotia provincial election, but was defeated by Progressive Conservative leader Jamie Baillie. In February 2017, Duchesne was again nominated as Cumberland South's NDP candidate for the next Nova Scotia general election.

## Electoral record

vte2024 Nova Scotia general election: Cumberland South :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Tory Rushton | 3,440 | 77.4% | +8.93 |
| | Liberal | Liam MacDonald | 530 | 11.9% | -7.27 |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 476 | 10.7% | +1.50 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,446 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | |
| Source: Elections Nova Scotia |||||||
vte2021 Nova Scotia general election: Cumberland South :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Tory Rushton | 3,900 | 68.47 | +9.28 | $29,144.30 |
| | Liberal | Rollie Lawless | 1,092 | 19.17 | -12.51 | $22,771.07 |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 524 | 9.20 | +4.14 | $1,495.12 |
| | Green | Nicholas Hendren | 180 | 3.16 | -0.91 | $200.00 |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 5,696 | 99.46 | – | $66,923.01 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 31 | 0.54 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,727 | 52.12 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 10,989 |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | +10.90 |
| Source: Elections Nova Scotia |||||||
vte2019 Canadian federal election: Cumberland—Colchester :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Lenore Zann | 16,672 | 36.68 | −27.05 | $91,456.57 |
| | Conservative | Scott Armstrong | 16,219 | 35.69 | +9.23 | none listed |
| | Green | Jason Blanch | 6,015 | 13.23 | +9.67 | $9,366.06 |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 5,451 | 11.99 | +6.28 | $3,860.15 |
| | People's | William Archer | 608 | 1.34 | New | none listed |
| | Independent | Matthew V. Rushton | 232 | 0.51 | New | none listed |
| | Veterans Coalition | Jody O'Blenis | 144 | 0.32 | New | none listed |
| | National Citizens Alliance | Stephen J. Garvey | 109 | 0.24 | New | none listed |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | Total valid votes/expense limit | 45,450 | 99.03 | | $104,050.86 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 447 | 0.97 | +0.59 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 45,897 | 68.54 | −2.51 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 66,967 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | −18.14 |
| Source: Elections Canada |||||||
Nova Scotia provincial by-election, June 19, 2018: Cumberland South Resignation of Jamie Baillie :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Progressive Conservative | Tory Rushton | 3,417 | 59.19 | +7.70 | $22,387 |
| | Liberal | Scott Lockhart | 1,829 | 31.68 | -8.79 | $32,332 |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 292 | 5.06 | -0.74 | $9,239 |
| | Green | Bruce McCulloch | 235 | 4.07 | — | $1,234 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 5,773 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 17 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,773 | 53.02 | -9.35 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 10,889 |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | +8.24 |
| Source: Elections Nova Scotia |||||||
vte2017 Nova Scotia general election: Cumberland South :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Jamie Baillie | 3,536 | 51.49 | +0.53 |
| | Liberal | Kenny John Jackson | 2,779 | 40.47 | +0.26 |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 398 | 5.80 | -0.98 |
| | Atlantica | Thor Lengies | 154 | 2.24 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 6,897 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 35 | 0.51 | -0.19 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,902 | 62.37 | -3.36 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 11,066 |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | +0.14 |
| Source: Elections Nova Scotia |||||||
2013 Nova Scotia general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Jamie Baillie | 3,655 | 51.0% | -6.2 |
| | Liberal | Kenny Jackson | 2,884 | 40.2% | +2.2 |
| | New Democratic Party | Larry Duchesne | 486 | 6.8% | +2.0 |
| | Green | Bruce McCulloch | 147 | 2.0% | +2.0 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,172 | 100.00 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 50 | 0.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,222 | 65.73 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 10,987 |
vte1997 Canadian federal election: Cardigan :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Lawrence MacAulay | 7,555 | 45.05 | -16.59 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Dan Hughes | 7,456 | 44.46 | +11.79 |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 1,761 | 10.50 | +4.81 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 16,772 | 100.00 |
1996 Prince Edward Island general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Progressive Conservative | Chester Gillan | 1,584 | 57.37 |
| | Liberal | Stephen Dowling | 1,008 | 36.51 |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 169 | 6.12 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 2,761 | 100.0 |
| This district was created from parts of the dual-member riding of 5th Queens. |||||||
1993 Prince Edward Island general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Stavert Huestis | 4,215 | 55.40 | -3.57 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Fred McCardle | 2,568 | 33.75 | +0.44 |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 825 | 10.84 | +2.94 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,608 | 98.52 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 114 | 1.48 | +0.17 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,722 | 74.16 | +1.39 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 10,412 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -2.01 |
| Source: Elections Prince Edward Island |||||||
1989 Prince Edward Island general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Stavert Huestis | 4,343 | 58.98 | +15.67 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Royce Green | 2,453 | 33.31 | -9.01 |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 582 | 7.90 | -6.81 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,378 | 98.69 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 98 | 1.31 | +0.37 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,476 | 72.77 | -7.49 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 10,273 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +12.34 |
| Source: Elections Prince Edward Island |||||||
1984 Nova Scotia general election: Pictou East :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Donald Cameron | 4,367 | 63.75% | 2.87% |
| | Liberal | Scott Johnston | 1,754 | 25.61% | -0.07% |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 729 | 10.64% | -2.80% |
| Total | Total | Total | 6,850 | – |
| Source(s) Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Pictou East" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia. Chief Electoral Officer (1984). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirty-First General Election (PDF). Queen's Printer. |||||||
1978 Nova Scotia general election: Annapolis West :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Greg Kerr | 2,690 | 50.56% | 7.34% |
| | Liberal | Peter M. Nicholson | 2,329 | 43.78% | -9.22% |
| | New Democratic | Larry Duchesne | 301 | 5.66% | 1.88% |
| Total | Total | Total | 5,320 | – |
| Source(s) Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Annapolis" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia. Chief Electoral Officer (1978). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Twenty-Ninth General Election (PDF). Queen's Printer. |||||||