The 2023 Manitoba general election was held on October 3, 2023, to elect 57 members to the

Legislative Assembly of Manitoba The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba () is the deliberative assembly of the Manitoba Legislature in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. Fifty-seven members are elected to this assembly at List of Manitoba genera ...

. The

New Democratic Party of Manitoba The New Democratic Party of Manitoba (Manitoba NDP; ), branded as Manitoba's NDP, is a social democratic political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is the provincial section of the federal New Democratic Party, and is a successor to the Manitoba ...

, led by

Wab Kinew Wabanakwut "Wab" Kinew (born December 31, 1981) is a Canadian politician who has served as the 25th premier of Manitoba since October 18, 2023 and the leader of the Manitoba New Democratic Party (NDP) since September 16, 2017. Kinew represents ...

, formed a

majority government A majority government is a government by one or more governing parties that hold an absolute majority of seats in a legislature. Such a government can consist of one party that holds a majority on its own, or be a coalition government of multi ...

, defeating the two-term Progressive Conservative government. Following the election, Kinew became the first

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

person to become premier of a Canadian province. The incumbent

Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba The Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba (PC; ) is a centre-right political party in Manitoba, Canada. It is currently the opposition party in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, following a defeat in the 2023 provincial election. Hist ...

, led by

Premier of Manitoba The premier of Manitoba () is the first minister (i.e., head of government or chief executive) for the Canadian province of Manitoba—as well as the ''de facto'' President of the province's Executive Council. In formal terms, the premier rec ...

Heather Stefanson Heather Dorothy Stefanson (born May 11, 1970) is a Canadian former politician who served as the 24th premier of Manitoba from 2021 to 2023; the first woman in the province's history to hold that role. She is the former leader of the Progressiv ...

, had attempted to win a third term in government, having previously won the

2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...

and

2019 elections The following elections were scheduled to occur in 2019. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems has a calendar of upcoming elections around the world, and the National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections in cou ...

under the leadership of

Brian Pallister Brian William Pallister (born July 6, 1954) is a Canadian politician who served as the 22nd premier of Manitoba from 2016 until 2021. He served as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 2012 to 2021. He had been a cabinet ...

Background

Under Manitoba's ''Elections Act'', a general election must be held no later than the first Tuesday of October in the fourth calendar year following the previous election. As the previous election was held in 2019, the latest possible date for the election was October 3, 2023, which was the official election date. The election was held under

first-past-the-post voting First-past-the-post (FPTP)—also called choose-one, first-preference plurality (FPP), or simply plurality—is a single-winner voting rule. Voters mark one candidate as their favorite, or first-preference, and the candidate with more first- ...

. On August 10, 2021, incumbent premier

announced that he would not seek re-election and resigned shortly after. Members of the

elected

to succeed Premier

Kelvin Goertzen Kelvin Goertzen (born June 12, 1969) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd premier of Manitoba from September to November, 2021. A member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, he is a member of the Legislative Assembly o ...

, who served as interim leader of the party after Pallister's departure. During the previous legislature, the opposition NDP had gained a polling lead over the PCs. However, the lead tightened during the campaign period.

Campaign

Stefanson primarily campaigned on reducing the cost of living for Manitobans, crime, and parental rights in education. Kinew led the NDP into the election. The NDP campaign focused on healthcare reform and balancing the province's budget. Dougald Lamont led the Liberals and

Janine Gibson Janine Gibson may refer to: * Janine Gibson (journalist), British journalist * Janine Gibson (politician), leader of the Green Party of Manitoba {{hndis, name=Gibson, Janine ...

led the Green Party, having been elected leader in March. The PCs promoted the film industry in the province and in 2022 helped

WestJet WestJet Airlines, is a Canadian airline headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. Founded in 1994, it is the second-largest airline in Canada and the eighth-largest airline in North America by frequency. It began operations in 1996 with 220 employee ...

launch direct flights from

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

. The New Democrats focused on healthcare with a promise to improve cardiac services. They also pledged to install geothermal systems in thousands of homes. The Liberals campaigned on creating more benefits for seniors, including establishing a minimum income for people over 60. They also promised a new debt relief system if elected. The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce encouraged voters to prioritise the economy when voting. During the final stages of the campaign, a point of contention was the proposed search of a Winnipeg landfill for the remains of the

murdered Murder is the unlawful killing of another human without justification or valid excuse committed with the necessary intention as defined by the law in a specific jurisdiction. ("The killing of another person without justification or excu ...

Indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology) In biogeography, a native species is indigenous to a given region or ecosystem if its presence in that region is the result of only local natural evolution (though often populari ...

women Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran. The PCs opposed the search, citing health and safety concerns. The Liberals and NDP supported a search. Most other Indigenous issues were reportedly side-lined during the campaign. Other campaign issues included crime, agriculture and affordable housing. Manitoba had not elected a

minority government A minority government, minority cabinet, minority administration, or a minority parliament is a government and cabinet formed in a parliamentary system when a political party or coalition of parties does not have a majority of overall seats in ...

since

1988 1988 was a crucial year in the early history of the Internet—it was the year of the first well-known computer virus, the Morris worm, 1988 Internet worm. The first permanent intercontinental Internet link was made between the United State ...

, so the media coverage was focused on the PCs and the NDP. In the final days of the campaign, the Manitoba government reported a surplus in the provincial budget worth $270 million.

Timeline

2019

2020

2021

*July 15: Eileen Clarke resigns as Minister of Indigenous and Northern Relations but stays on as MLA for Agassiz. *July 15

Blaine Pedersen Blaine Pedersen is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2007 provincial election for the electoral division of Carman. Pederson is a member of the Progressive Conservative Party. Pe ...

resigns as Minister of Agriculture and Resource Development. He announces he will not seek re-election. * August 10: Brian Pallister announces he will not seek re-election as the MLA for Fort Whyte and will resign as premier. * September 1: Brian Pallister resigns as Premier and leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba but remains as the MLA for Fort Whyte. *September 1:

is chosen by the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba to become its interim leader and the 23rd Premier of Manitoba.

Rochelle Squires Rochelle Squires is a former Canadian politician who served as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for the riding of Riel from 2016 to 2023. A member of the Progressive Conservative Party, she was first elected in the 2016 Man ...

is appointed as the Deputy Premier. *October 4: Brian Pallister resigns as the MLA for Fort Whyte, triggering a by-election. *October 30:

is elected as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party. *November 2: Kelvin Goertzen resigns as Premier of Manitoba. *November 2: Heather Stefanson is sworn in as the 24th Premier of Manitoba and is the first woman to hold the position. *December 9: Danielle Adams (

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson Lantion, Filipino retired police general * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia * Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thom ...

) dies in office, triggering a by-election. *December 30:

Ron Schuler Ronald Reinhold Schuler is a Canadian politician. He is currently a member of the Manitoba Legislature and a representative of the Progressive Conservative Party (PCs). He was first elected in the 1999 provincial election. and was re-elected i ...

is removed from cabinet post as Minister of Infrastructure. Reg Helwer is appointed as acting Minister of Infrastructure.

2022

*January 18: Premier Heather Stefanson shuffles her cabinet. *March 22:

Obby Khan Ibrahim "Obby" Khan (born 8 October 1980) is a Canadian politician, entrepreneur and former professional Canadian football centre who played for nine seasons in the Canadian Football League with the Ottawa Renegades, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and ...

is elected in the Fort Whyte by-election, replacing former Premier Brian Pallister. The Progressive Conservatives hold the seat narrowly. *June 6:

Scott Fielding Scott Bradley Fielding (born ) is a former Canadian politician. A city councillor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada from 2006 to 2014, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba in the 2016 provincial election. On September 10, 2019, Sco ...

resigns as Minister of Natural Resources and Northern Development, Minister responsible for Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries and announces his intention to resign as MLA for Kirkfield Park. *June 6:

Alan Lagimodiere Alan Dean Lagimodiere is a Canadian provincial politician who served as the representative for the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Selkirk. Prior to his run for the Manitoba Legislature he was a hotelier and veterinarian. Soon after his el ...

is named acting Minister of Natural Resources and Northern Development, Minister responsible for Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. *June 7: Eric Redhead is elected as the MLA for Thompson, holding the seat for the NDP. *June 17: Scott Fielding resigns as MLA for Kirkfield Park. *October 4: Ralph Eichler announces he will not seek re-election as MLA for Lakeside. *December 16: Ian Wishart announces he will not seek re-election as MLA for Portage La Prairie.

2023

*January 15: Cathy Cox announces she Will not seek re-election as MLA for Kildonan River East. *January 27: Cameron Friesen announces his resignation as finance minister and MLA. *January 30:

Cliff Cullen Clifford James Cullen (born November 8, 1962) is a Canadian politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Spruce Woods. He was first elected in a by-election held in the summer of 2004, and was re-elected in 2007, 2011, 2016, ...

is appointed as finance minister and retains Deputy Premier role. *June 13: Sarah Guillemard announces she will not seek re-election as MLA for Fort Richmond.

Legislature summary

, - !rowspan="2" colspan="2", Party !rowspan="2", Leader !rowspan="2", Candidates !colspan="5", Seats !colspan="4", Popular vote , - !

2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...

!Dissolution !Elected !% !+/– !Votes !% !Change
( pp) , align=left,

, – , 57, , 18 , , 18 , , 34 , , 59.65 , , +16 , , 221,695 , , 45.63 , , +14.25 , align=left,

, – , 57, , 36 , , , 35, , 22, , 38.60 , , –14 , , 203,350 , , 41.86 , , −5.21 , align=left, Dougald Lamont , – , 49, , 3 , , 3 , , 1 , , 1.75 , , –2 , , 51,634 , , 10.63 , , −3.85 , align=left, Keystone , align=left, Kevin Friesen , 5 , , – , , –, , –, , –, , − , , 3,727 , , 0.77 , , New , align=left, , – , 13 , , – , , –, , –, , – , , − , , 3,584 , , 0.74 , , −5.63 , align=left, Andrew Taylor , 5 , , – , , – , , –, , –, , − , , 461 , , 0.09 , , +0.04 , - , colspan="2" style="text-align:left;", Independents , 3, , – , , – , , –, , –, , − , , 1,383 , , 0.28 , , +0.10 , - , colspan="4" style="text-align:left;", Vacant , , 1 , - , colspan="5" , , - , style="text-align:left;" colspan="3", Valid votes , , , , , , , , , , , , , 485,834 , , 99.31 , - , style="text-align:left;" colspan="3", Blank and invalid votes , , , , , , , , , , , , , 3,374 , , 0.69 , - , style="text-align:left;" colspan="3", Total , 189 , , 57 , , 57 , , –, , , , , , 489,208 , , 100 , - , style="text-align:left;" colspan="3", Registered voters/turnout , , , , , , , , , , , , , 884,864 , , 55.29

Incumbents not running for re-election

Candidates

The PCs and New Democrats ran candidates in all 57 ridings, while the Liberals ran candidates in 49 and the Greens in 13, respectively.

Marginal seats

Previous marginal seats

Seats in the 2019 general election which were won by under 10%

New marginal seats

Seats in this general election which were won by under 10%.

Results

Results were formally declared on October 3, the night of the election. The NDP only finished four percentage points ahead of the Tories on the popular vote. However, they dominated Winnipeg, taking all but three seats in the capital. Eight members of Stefanson's cabinet were defeated, all in Winnipeg-based ridings. Stefanson herself was nearly defeated in her historically

safe seat A safe seat is an electoral district which is regarded as fully secure, for either a certain political party, or the incumbent representative personally or a combination of both. With such seats, there is very little chance of a seat changing h ...

of Tuxedo, surviving by less than three percentage points.

Results overview

Synopsis of results

: = open seat : = turnout is above provincial average : = winning candidate was in previous Legislature : = other incumbents renominated : = previously an MP in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

Comparative analysis for ridings (2023 vs 2019)

Results by riding

Analysis

Aftermath

Liberal leader Dougald Lamont resigned on election night following a dismal performance for his party. Both he and

Jon Gerrard Jon Gerrard (born October 13, 1947) is a politician in Manitoba, Canada. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1993 to 1997, and was a secretary of state in the government of Jean Chrétien. He was the leader of the Manitoba Liberal Party f ...

lost their seats to NDP challengers, leaving

Cindy Lamoureux Cindy Lamoureux (born November 13, 1991) is a Canadians, Canadian provincial politician, who was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for the riding of Burrows (electoral district), Burrows in the 2016 Manitoba general el ...

as the sole Liberal in the legislative assembly. Outgoing premier and PC leader

also announced her resignation as party leader on election night.

Seats changing hands

Defeated MLAs

Open seats

Opinion polls

Opinion polling for the 2023 Manitoba general election

References

Opinion poll sources

{{Manitoba elections Manitoba general election

General election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...

Manitoba general election Elections in Manitoba