1988 Nova Scotia general election

The **1988 Nova Scotia general election** was held on September 6, 1988 to elect members of the 55th House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Progressive Conservative party.

John Dunsworth, who would later gain fame for playing alcoholic trailer park supervisor Jim Lahey on the TV series Trailer Park Boys, stood as the NDP candidate in Halifax Bedford Basin. He finished in third place with a little over 19% of the vote. His underdog campaign was later the subject of a short documentary.

### Results by party

||Party|Leader||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|style="text-align:center;"|1984|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|style="text-align:center;"|% change|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|Progressive Conservative|John Buchanan|align=right|42|align=right|**28**|align=right|-33.3%|align=right|204,150|align=right|43.4%|Liberal|Vince MacLean|align=right|6|align=right|**21**|align=right|+250%|align=right|186,007|align=right|39.6%|New Democratic|Alexa McDonough|align=right|3|align=right|**2**|align=right|-33.3%|align=right|74,038|align=right|15.8%|colspan=2|Other|align=right|1|align=right|**1**|align=right||align=right|5,638|align=right|1.2%|
|colspan="3"|**Total Seats**|align=right|52|align=right|**52**|align=right||align=right|469,833|align=right|100%|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||

Vote share included in "other"

## Infobox (election)

- **election name**: 1988 Nova Scotia general election
- **country**: Nova Scotia
- **type**: parliamentary
- **party colour**: no
- **party name**: no
- **previous election**: 1984 Nova Scotia general election
- **previous year**: 1984
- **previous mps**: 54th General Assembly of Nova Scotia
- **elected mps**: 55th General Assembly of Nova Scotia, members
- **next election**: 1993 Nova Scotia general election
- **next year**: 1993
- **seats for election**: 52 seats of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
- **majority seats**: 27
- **election date**: September 6, 1988
- **image1**: <div style="width:115px;"><span style="line-height:150px; vertical-align:center; text-align:center; color:; font-size:38px;"> **PC**</span></div>
- **leader1**: John Buchanan
- **leader since1**: Progressive Conservative Association of Nova Scotia leadership elections#1971 leadership convention, March 6, 1971
- **leaders seat1**: Halifax Atlantic
- **last election1**: 42
- **seats1**: 28
- **seat change1**: 14
- **popular vote1**: 204,150
- **percentage1**: 43.4%
- **swing1**: 7.2%
- **image2**: <div style="width:115px;"><span style="line-height:150px; vertical-align:center; text-align:center; color:; font-size:38px;"> **Lib** </span></div>
- **leader2**: Vince MacLean
- **leader since2**: Nova Scotia Liberal Party leadership elections#1986 leadership convention, February 22, 1986
- **leaders seat2**: Cape Breton South (provincial electoral district), Cape Breton South
- **last election2**: 6
- **seats2**: 21
- **seat change2**: 15
- **popular vote2**: 186,007
- **percentage2**: 39.6%
- **swing2**: 8.3%
- **image3**:
- **leader3**: Alexa McDonough
- **leader since3**: Nova Scotia New Democratic Party leadership elections#1980 leadership convention, November 16, 1980
- **leaders seat3**: Halifax Chebucto
- **last election3**: 3
- **seats3**: 2
- **seat change3**: 1
- **popular vote3**: 74,038
- **percentage3**: 15.8%
- **swing3**: 0.0
- **title**: Premier
- **before election**: John Buchanan
- **after election**: John Buchanan
- **posttitle**: Premier after election