# John Abbott (Newfoundland and Labrador politician)

John Abbott is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in the 2021 provincial election. He defeated the leader of the provincial New Democratic Party (NDP), Alison Coffin, to represent the electoral district of St. John's East-Quidi Vidi as a member of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.

## Background

Prior to being elected, Abbott served as the executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association. Abbott was also Deputy Minister of Health in the Williams and Ball administrations.
Between 1989 and 1999, Abbott held a number of other senior positions: Assistant Secretary to the Treasury Board, Associate Deputy Minister of Health and Community Services, chairman and CEO of the Newfoundland and Labrador Housing Corporation, Deputy Minister of Works, Services and Transportation and Deputy Minister of Municipal and Provincial Affairs.

## Politics

In 2020, Abbott ran for the leadership of the provincial Liberal party following the pending resignation of Dwight Ball. He lost the two-way race to frontrunner Andrew Furey. Abbott subsequently ran in the 2021 provincial election as the Liberal candidate in St. John's East-Quidi Vidi and narrowly defeated incumbent MHA and provincial NDP leader Alison Coffin. Coffin filed for a recount, but it was rejected by Supreme Court Justice Donald Burrage, who argued that the evidence was not sufficient to justify the process. Abbott was subsequently sworn in as MHA on May 18, 2021.
Prior to his swearing-in, Abbott was appointed Minister of Children, Seniors and Social Development on April 8, 2021. He later became the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure on June 14, 2023. On July 19, 2024, he was appointed as Minister of Housing and Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.
When Premier Furey announced his pending resignation in 2025, Abbott resigned his cabinet positions and ran for the Liberal leadership in the ensuing election.

## Election results

vte2021 Newfoundland and Labrador general election: St. John's East-Quidi Vidi :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | John Abbott | 2,447 | 42.95 | +9.57 |
| | New Democratic | Alison Coffin | 2,394 | 42.02 | −1.46 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Vaughn Hammond | 856 | 15.03 | −8.11 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 5,697 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | |
| | Liberal gain from New Democratic | Liberal gain from New Democratic | Swing | Swing | −5.52 |
| Source(s) "Officially Nominated Candidates General Election 2021" (PDF). Elections Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved March 3, 2021. "NL Election 2021 (Unofficial Results)". Retrieved March 27, 2021. |||||||
2020 Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador leadership election :
| Candidate | Ballot 1 | Ballot 1 |
| Name | Votes | Points |
| Andrew Furey | 13,645 64.42% | 26,443 66.11% |
| John Abbott | 7,537 35.58% | 13,557 33.89% |
| Total | 21,182 | 40,000 |