# Whitehorse West

Whitehorse West is an electoral district which returns a member (known as an MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of the Yukon Territory in Canada. The Whitehorse district is the smallest riding, by size, in the Yukon and includes the subdivisions of Logan, Ingram, Arkell, and part of Copper Ridge. It is bordered by the ridings of Mountainvew, Takhini-Kopper King, and Copperbelt North.

## History

While it is one of the oldest ridings in the Yukon by name, the current riding no longer represents its initial boundaries, nor even the boundaries as recent as the 2000 general election due to the continued residential development in that area of the city.
Whitehorse West is the former seat of Yukon Premier Tony Penikett of the Yukon New Democratic Party, Deputy Premier Elaine Taylor of the Yukon Party, Dennis Schneider, 8th Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, and Ken McKinnon, former Commissioner of the Yukon.
Initially considered a New Democrat stronghold, the riding evolved into a largely Yukon Party stronghold, despite falling to the Liberals in 2016. However, Whitehorse West could also be viewed as a bellwether, as it has voted for the governing party in every territorial election since 1985, except one (1992).
Whitehorse West was the only seat won by the Yukon New Democratic Party in the 1978 territorial election.

## MLAs

| Legislature | Years | Member | Party |
| 16th | 1952-1955 | Fred Locke | Independent |
| 17th | 1955-1958 | Jack Hulland | Independent |
| 18th | 1958-1961 | James Smith | Independent |
| 19th | 1961-1964 | John Watt | Independent |
| 20th | 1964-1967 | John Watt | Independent |
| 21st | 1967-1970 | John Dumas | Independent |
| 22nd | 1970-1974 | Ken McKinnon | Independent |
| 23rd | 1974-1978 | Flo Whyard | Independent |
| 24th | 1978–1982 | Tony Penikett | New Democratic |
| 25th | 1982–1985 | Tony Penikett | New Democratic |
| 26th | 1985–1989 | Tony Penikett | New Democratic |
| 27th | 1989–1992 | Tony Penikett | New Democratic |
| 28th | 1992–1995 | Tony Penikett | New Democratic |
| 28th | 1995–1996 | | Vacant |
| 28th | 1996 | David Sloan | New Democratic |
| 29th | 1996–2000 | David Sloan | New Democratic |
| 30th | 2000–2002 | Dennis Schneider | Liberal |
| 31st | 2002–2006 | Elaine Taylor | Yukon Party |
| 32nd | 2006–2011 | Elaine Taylor | Yukon Party |
| 33rd | 2011–2016 | Elaine Taylor | Yukon Party |
| 34th | 2016–2021 | Richard Mostyn | Liberal |
| 35th | 2021–present | Richard Mostyn | Liberal |

## Electoral results
### 2021

vte2021 Yukon general election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Richard Mostyn | 398 | 39.68 | -6.1% |
| | Yukon Party | Angela Drainville | 376 | 37.48 | -6.1% |
| | New Democratic | Ron Davis | 229 | 22.83 | +12.1% |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 1,003 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -7.33 |
| Source(s) "Unofficial Election Results 2021". Elections Yukon. Retrieved 24 April 2021. |||||||

### 2016

2016 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Richard Mostyn | 455 | 45.8% | +17.1% |
| | Yukon Party | Elaine Taylor | 433 | 43.6% | -14.3% |
| | NDP | Stu Clark | 106 | 10.7% | -2.2% |
| Total | Total | Total | 994 | 100.0% | – |

### 2011

2011 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Elaine Taylor | 422 | 57.9% | +4.8% |
| | Liberal | Cully Robinson | 209 | 28.7% | -9.9% |
| | NDP | Louis Gagnon | 94 | 12.9% | +5.1% |
| Total | Total | Total | 729 | 100.0% | – |

### 2006

2006 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Elaine Taylor | 511 | 53.1% | +5.7% |
| | Liberal | Mike Walton | 371 | 38.6% | +0.6% |
| | NDP | Rhoda Merkel | 75 | 7.8% | -6.1% |
| Total | Total | Total | 963 | 100.0% | – |

### 2002

2002 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Yukon Party | Elaine Taylor | 398 | 47.4% | +19.7% |
| | Liberal | Dennis Schneider | 319 | 38.0% | -2.5% |
| | NDP | Rachel Grantham | 117 | 13.9% | -17.4% |
| Total | Total | Total | 840 | 100.0% | – |

### 2000

2000 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Dennis Schneider | 621 | 40.5% | +8.4% |
| | NDP | Dave Sloan | 480 | 31.3% | -9.4% |
| | Yukon Party | Elaine Taylor | 425 | 27.7% | +0.7% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1535 | 100.0% | – |

### 1996

1996 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Dave Sloan | 486 | 40.7% | -1.6% |
| | Liberal | Larry Bagnell | 383 | 32.1% | +0.2% |
| | Yukon Party | Ken McKinnon | 323 | 27.0% | +2.3% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1195 | 100.0% | – |

### 1996 by-election

By-election: 1996 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Dave Sloan | 433 | 42.3% | -3.3% |
| | Liberal | Larry Bagnell | 326 | 31.9% | +14.8% |
| | Yukon Party | Shelda Hutton | 253 | 24.7% | -10.1% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1023 | 100.0% | – |
* On the resignation of Tony Penikett, 1995

### 1992

1992 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Tony Penikett | 304 | 45.6% | -9.7% |
| | Yukon Party | Bob Bruneau | 232 | 34.8% | +1.3% |
| | Liberal | Shaun Patrick Dennehy | 114 | 17.1% | +6.2% |
| | Independent | Bernd Schmidt | 12 | 1.8% | +1.8% |
| Total | Total | Total | 666 | 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 | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Tony Penikett | 810 | 55.3% | -1.9% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Flora Evans | 491 | 33.5% | -8.9% |
| | Liberal | Joe Jack | 160 | 10.9% | +10.9% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1465 | 100.0% | – |

### 1985

1985 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Tony Penikett | 716 | 57.2% | +8.5% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Charlie Friday | 531 | 42.4% | -3.7% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1251 | 100.0% | – |

### 1982

1982 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Tony Penikett | 541 | 48.7% | +17.4% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Pat Harvey | 508 | 45.7% | +20.6% |
| | Liberal | Adam Skrutkowski | 59 | 5.3% | -21.9% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1112 | 100.0% | – |

### 1978

1978 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | NDP | Tony Penikett | 230 | 31.3% | – |
| | Liberal | John Watt | 200 | 27.2% | – |
| | Progressive Conservative | Anthony Fekete | 185 | 25.1% | – |
| | Independent | Al Omatani | 81 | 11.0% | – |
| | Independent | Guy Julien | 37 | 5.0% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 736 | 100.0% | – |
* Partisan politics introduced into the territory

### 1974

1974 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Flo Whyard | 252 | 42.3% | – |
| | Independent | John Watt | 227 | 38.1% | – |
| | Independent | Al Omatani | 116 | 19.5% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 596 | 100.0% | – |

### 1970

1970 Yukon general election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Ken McKinnon | 444 | 23.4% | – |
| | Independent | John Watt | 294 | 28.7% | – |
| | Independent | John P. Hoyt | 281 | 27.5% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 1023 | 100.0% | – |