# Susan Holt

Susan Holt MLA (born April 22, 1977) is a Canadian politician, who has served as the 35th premier of New Brunswick since November 2, 2024, and has been the leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Association since August 6, 2022. She has served as the MLA for Fredericton South-Silverwood since 2024. Previously, she was the MLA for Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore and as the leader of the Opposition from 2023 to 2024. She is the first woman to become premier of New Brunswick.

## Early life and career

Susan Holt was born on April 22, 1977 in Fredericton, New Brunswick. She grew up in Fredericton where she attended French immersion school and became fluently bilingual in English and French. She attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, where she graduated with a degree in both chemistry and economics.
Prior to entering politics, Holt worked as a human resource manager in Fredericton, where she served as chief growth officer for software testing companies PLATO Testing and PQA, and served as president of the New Brunswick Business Council. In 2015, Holt was appointed by Premier Brian Gallant to serve as chief of business relationships on the New Brunswick Jobs Board secretariat, and simultaneously served as senior economic development advisor to Gallant. Holt ran as the Liberal candidate in Fredericton South in the 2018 New Brunswick general election, losing to New Brunswick Green Party leader David Coon.

## Political career

Holt was elected leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Association during the August 6, 2022 leadership election on the third ballot, defeating three candidates. As Holt was not a sitting member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick upon becoming leader of the Liberal Party, Liberal MLA Denis Landry offered in August 2022 to resign his seat so that Holt could run in a by-election. In November 2022, Holt announced that she would accept his offer and run in Landry's riding of Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore. Landry then confirmed that he was resigning the seat. On April 24, 2023, Holt won a by-election in Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore to win a seat in the Legislative Assembly. On May 9, 2023, she became the official opposition leader in New Brunswick.

### Premier

The Liberals won 31 seats in the 2024 general election, making Holt the premier-designate to succeed Blaine Higgs of the Progressive Conservative Party. She was sworn in along with her cabinet on November 2.
On November 7, 2024, Holt and her government approved changes to Regulation 84-20, repealing a 1984 rule which restricted Medicare funding for surgical abortions performed outside of hospitals.

## Personal life

Holt lives with her family in Fredericton. She is married to Jon Holt, and they have three children.

## Electoral record
### Fredericton South-Silverwood

vte2024 New Brunswick general election: Fredericton South-Silverwood :
| ** Preliminary results — Not yet official ** |||||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Susan Holt | 4,604 | 51.64 | +37.5 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Nicolle Carlin | 2,287 | 25.65 | -14.6 |
| | Green | Simon Ouellette | 1,860 | 20.86 | -18.0 |
| | New Democratic | Nicki Lyons-MacFarlane | 165 | 1.85 | +0.3 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 8,916 | 99.89 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 10 | 0.11 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,926 | 71.28 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 11,522 |
| | Liberal notional gain from Progressive Conservative | Liberal notional gain from Progressive Conservative | Swing | Swing | +26.1 |
| This district was created by splitting Fredericton South, which elected a Green Party member in the previous election, into two new districts. David Coon was the incumbent from Fredericton South, and will be running in the other district, Fredericton-Lincoln. |||||||

### Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore

New Brunswick provincial by-election, April 24, 2023: Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore Resignation of Denis Landry to run for mayor of Hautes-Terres :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Susan Holt | 2,343 | 58.85 | -4.91 |
| | Green | Serge Brideau | 1,411 | 35.44 | +23.22 |
| | New Democratic | Alex White | 227 | 5.70 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 3,981 | 99.30 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 28 | 0.70 | +0.29 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,009 | 37.59 | -23.01 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 10,666 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -14.06 |
| Source: Elections New Brunswick |||||||

### Fredericton South

2018 New Brunswick general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | David Coon | 4,273 | 56.31 | +25.63 |
| | Liberal | Susan Holt | 1,525 | 20.10 | -1.52 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Scott Smith | 1,042 | 13.73 | -12.44 |
| | People's Alliance | Bonnie Clark | 616 | 8.12 | -- |
| | New Democratic | Chris Durrant | 132 | 1.74 | -18.04 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 7,588 | 100.0 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | |
| | Green hold | Green hold | Swing | Swing | +13.6 |
| Source: Elections New Brunswick |||||||