# Watson Lake (electoral district)

Watson Lake is an electoral district which returns a member (known as an MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of the Yukon Territory in Canada. The riding is one of the Yukon's eight rural ridings and is one of the oldest ridings in the Yukon.
Watson Lake includes the communities of Watson Lake and Upper Liard and is situated on the traditional territory of the Ross River Dena Council and the Liard First Nation of the Kaska Dena. In accordance with the Yukon Electoral District Boundaries Act (2024), this riding will experience a significant westward expansion of boundaries into what is currently the neighbouring Pelly-Nisutlin and be renamed to Watson Lake-Ross River-Faro at the 2025 Yukon general election.
It is considered a Yukon Party stronghold.

## Members of the Territorial Council / Legislative Assembly

| Assembly | Years | Member | Party |
| 22nd | 1970–1974 | Donald Taylor | Independent |
| 23rd | 1974–1978 | Donald Taylor | Independent |
| 24th | 1978–1982 | Donald Taylor | Progressive Conservative |
| 25th | 1982–1985 | Donald Taylor | Progressive Conservative |
| 25th | 1985–1985 | Donald Taylor | Independent |
| 26th | 1985–1989 | Dave Porter | New Democratic |
| 27th | 1989–1991 | John Devries | Progressive Conservative |
| 27th | 1991–1992 | John Devries | Yukon Party |
| 28th | 1992–1996 | John Devries | Yukon Party |
| 29th | 1996–2000 | Dennis Fentie | New Democratic |
| 30th | 2000–2002 | Dennis Fentie | New Democratic |
| 30th | 2002–2002 | Dennis Fentie | Yukon Party |
| 31st | 2002–2006 | Dennis Fentie | Yukon Party |
| 32nd | 2006–2011 | Dennis Fentie | Yukon Party |
| 33rd | 2011–2016 | Patti McLeod | Yukon Party |
| 34th | 2016–2021 | Patti McLeod | Yukon Party |
| 35th | 2021–Present | Patti McLeod | Yukon Party |

## Electoral results
### 2021

The Yukon NDP nominated candidate Amy Labonte. Two days after the close of nominations, following controversy over past social media posts, Labonte withdrew her candidacy on March 24, 2021. Watson Lake became the only electoral district in the Yukon without an NDP candidate. For the first time since 1970, Watson Lake had only two candidates on the ballot.
vte2021 Yukon general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Patti McLeod | 313 | 56.9 | +18.0 |
| | Liberal | Amanda Brown | 237 | 43.1 | +15.5 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 550 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 11 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 561 | 56.0 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 1,002 |
| | Yukon Party hold | Yukon Party hold | Swing | Swing | +1.2 |
| Source(s) "Official Election Results 2021" (PDF). Elections Yukon. Retrieved 12 August 2021. |||||||

### 2016

2016 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Patti McLeod | 299 | 38.9% | +1.8% |
| | NDP | Erin Labonte | 219 | 28.5% | -4.6% |
| | Liberal | Ernie Jamieson | 212 | 27.6% | +5.0% |
| | Independent | Victor Kisoun | 38 | 5.0% | -1.6% |
| Total | Total | Total | 768 | 100.0% | – |

### 2011

2011 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Patti McLeod | 276 | 37.8% | -26.9% |
| | NDP | Liard McMillan | 242 | 33.1% | +27.3% |
| | Liberal | Thomas Slager | 165 | 22.6% | -3.0% |
| | Independent | Patricia Gilhooly | 48 | 6.6% | +6.6% |
| Total | Total | Total | 731 | 100.0% | – |

### 2006

2006 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Dennis Fentie | 495 | 64.7% | +1.6% |
| | Liberal | Rick Harder | 196 | 25.6% | +4.4% |
| | NDP | Rachael Lewis | 45 | 5.8% | -10.0% |
| | Independent | Dale Robert Worsfold | 28 | 3.6% | +3.6% |
| Total | Total | Total | 764 | 100.0% | – |

### 2002

2002 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Dennis Fentie | 521 | 63.1% | +46.2% |
| | Liberal | Tom Cove | 174 | 21.1% | -10.9% |
| | NDP | Kathy Magun | 130 | 15.8% | -35.3% |
| Total | Total | Total | 825 | 100.0% | – |

### 2000

2000 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Dennis Fentie | 434 | 51.1% | -1.7% |
| | Liberal | Isaac Wood | 272 | 32.0% | +19.3% |
| | Yukon Party | Mickey Thomas | 144 | 16.9% | -12.8% |
| Total | Total | Total | 850 | 100.0% | – |

### 1996

1996 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Dennis Fentie | 442 | 52.8% | +18.3% |
| | Yukon Party | Barrie Ravenhill | 249 | 29.7% | -29.0% |
| | Liberal | Dave Kalles | 106 | 12.7% | +5.9% |
| | Independent | Mickey Thomas | 40 | 4.8% | +4.8% |
| Total | Total | Total | 837 | 100.0% | – |

### 1992

1992 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | John Devries | 485 | 58.7% | +13.5% |
| | NDP | Karel Kauppinen | 285 | 34.5% | -10.2% |
| | Liberal | Ron Lutz | 56 | 6.8% | -2.7% |
| Total | Total | Total | 826 | 100.0% | – |
* The Yukon Progressive Conservative Party re-branded itself as the Yukon Party before the 1992 election.

### 1989

1989 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | John Devries | 298 | 45.2% | +29.4% |
| | NDP | Karel Kauppinen | 295 | 44.7% | +11.5% |
| | Liberal | John McDonald | 63 | 9.5% | +9.5% |
| Total | Total | Total | 660 | 100.0% | – |

### 1985

1985 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Dave Porter | 183 | 33.2% | +29.9% |
| | Independent | Donald Taylor | 174 | 30.6% | -0.4% |
| | Independent | Brian Shanahan | 119 | 21.0% | -8.1% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Don McIntosh | 90 | 15.8% | -11.1% |
| Total | Total | Total | 568 | 100.0% | – |

### 1982

1982 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Donald Taylor | 170 | 31.0% | +31.0% |
| | Independent | Brian Shanahan | 154 | 28.1% | +28.1% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Dave Rollie | 142 | 27.5% | -25.9% |
| | Liberal | Eileen Van Bibber | 60 | 10.9% | -34.9% |
| | NDP | James Cahill | 18 | 3.3% | +3.3% |
| Total | Total | Total | 548 | 100.0% | – |

### 1978

1978 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Donald Taylor | 226 | 53.4% | – |
| | Liberal | Grant Taylor | 188 | 44.9% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 419 | 100.0% | – |
* Partisan politics introduced into the territory

### 1974

1974 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Donald Taylor | 223 | 49.6% | – |
| | Independent | Johnny Friend | 110 | 24.4% | – |
| | Independent | Harold Godfrey | 107 | 23.8% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 450 | 100.0% | – |

### 1970

1970 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Donald Taylor | 397 | 58.0% | – |
| | Independent | R.W. Stubenberg | 275 | 40.2% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 684 | 100.0% | – |