How 10 key Sask. election races turned out (so far)

Election day is over, but the results in some of the key battleground ridings in the Saskatchewan are still too close to call Tuesday morning. 

Saskatchewan Party and NDP candidates will be waiting for the mail ballot results, which Elections Saskatchewan will begin to count on Oct. 28, to reveal who won ridings in Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw and Prince Albert.

This includes NDP leader Ryan Meili, who currently trails slightly behind Saskatchewan Party candidate Rylund Hunter in the Saskatoon Meewasin riding.

The Saskatchewan Party will retain a majority of the province's 61 seats regardless of the outcome of these close races, but several are still in play. 

Regina

NDP Leader Ryan Meili spent more time in Regina than Scott Moe during the month-long campaign. By the end of election night, the NDP had been elected in four Regina seats, one fewer than it held at the start of the campaign. 

Regina Coronation Park

Candidates: SP: Mark Docherty, NDP: Noor Burki, Green Party: Irene Browatzke, PC: David Coates 

Current leader: Docherty leads Burki by 450 votes

Vote by mail packages delivered: 806

Incumbent: Docherty

2016 Margin: 147 votes

Storyline: Docherty of the Sask. Party won in 2011 and narrowly in 2016. He has been the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly since March 2018. Docherty faces Noor Burki of the NDP. Burki runs Wascana Driving School and won a contested nomination in May 2019. This riding was seen as a "safe" NDP seat until Docherty's breakthrough win in 2011. Kim Trew held the seat for the NDP from 1986 to 2011.

Regina Pasqua

Candidates: SP: Muhammad Fiaz, NDP: Bhajan Brar, Green Party: Heather Lau, PC: Harry Frank

Current leader: Fiaz led Brar by 501 votes with 72 of 74 polls reporting

Vote by mail packages delivered: 2674

Incumbent: Fiaz

2016 Margin: 298

Storyline: Fiaz won in the new riding in 2016. The NDP challenger is Bhajan Brar. Moe kicked off his campaign outside Fiaz's campaign office. The area includes the relatively new subdivision of Harbour Landing, which according to the city's most recent census has the lowest median age at 29.9. Fiaz was one of only three Sask. Party incumbents that needed to win a contested nomination. This riding has the highest number of mail ballots requested this election.

Regina University

Candidates: SP: Tina Beaudry-Mellor, NDP: Aleana Young, Green Party: Tanner Wallace, PC: Debbie Knill

Current leader: Beaudry-Mellor leads Young by 178 votes

Vote by mail packages delivered: 1814

Incumbent: Beaudry-Mellor

2016 Margin: 417

Storyline: This is one of several rematches from 2016. Moe and Beaudry-Mellor put up lawn signs together on day one of the campaign. Beaudry-Mellor is one of only a few recent cabinet ministers expected to be in a close race. Young is a member of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association executive and stepped down as a Regina Public School Division trustee to run. In 2016, the Liberal and Green candidates combined for 566 votes. The Liberals do not have a candidate on the ballot this year. 

Regina Walsh Acres

Elected: Derek Meyers, Saskatchewan Party

Candidates: SP: Derek Meyers, NDP: Kelly Hardy, PC: Ken Grey (leader), Independent: Sandra Morin 

Storyline: Derek Meyers of the Saskatchewan Party won Regina Walsh Acres with nearly 50 per cent of the vote, fending off challenges from the left. Former NDP cabinet minister Sandra Morin, who was not approved by the NDP after winning the nomination, garnered 12 per cent of the vote as an independent candidate while NDP candidate Kelly Hardy garnered 35 per cent. PC leader Ken Grey earned 4.2 per cent of the vote. 

Saskatoon

Several ridings also remain up for grabs in the province's largest city, where Saskatchewan Party Leader Scott Moe gave his victory speech Monday night. 

Saskatoon Churchill-Wildwood

Elected: Lisa Lambert, Saskatchewan Party

Candidates: SP: Lisa Lambert, NDP: David McGrane, Green Party: Gillian Walker, PC: John Lowe 

Storyline: While this riding combined areas that were strong for the NDP in the past, Lisa Lambert of the Saskatchewan Party took approximately 53 per cent of the vote, trailed by the NDP's Dave McGrane with 41 per cent.

Saskatoon Eastview

Candidates: SP: Chris Guérette, NDP: Matt Love, Green: Jan Norris 

Current leader: Love led Guérette by 86 votes with 51 of 52 polls reporting

Vote by mail packages delivered: 1555

Incumbent: Vacant

2016 Margin: Sask. Party 971

Storyline: Guérette was helicoptered into this riding a week into the campaign after the resignation of Daryl Cooper. The seat is one of two that has been vacant for more than a year. Love will have the advantage of being selected much earlier than Guérette, who has name recognition as the head of the Saskatoon and District Home Builders' Association and former chair of the Conseil Scolaire Fransaskois. Love was a CBC Future 40 recipient and is a well-known teacher at Aden Bowman Collegiate.

Saskatoon Meewasin 

Candidates: SP: Rylund Hunter, NDP: Ryan Meili (Leader), Green Party: Jacklin Andrews 

Current leader: Hunter leads Meili by 83 votes

Vote by mail packages delivered: 1656

Incumbent: Meili

2017 By-election Margin: 704 

Storyline: Meili will have to wait until the mail-in ballots are counted to find out if he will be the first NDP leader in the last three elections to win his seat. Dwain Lingenfelter lost in 2011 and Cam Broten lost in 2016. Both were defeated by rookie candidates. Meili is up against Rylund Hunter of the Sask. Party, who knocked off Guérette for the nomination. Meili won a by-election in 2017, but the Sask. Party won the two previous main elections.

Saskatoon Riversdale

Candidates: SP: Marv Friesen, NDP: Ashlee Hicks, Green Party: Delanie Passer

Current leader: Hicks led Friesen by 27 votes with 46 of 49 polls reporting

Vote by mail packages delivered: 920

Incumbent: Vacant

2016 Margin: Won by NDP 259

Storyline: Moe made two stops in this riding during the campaign, perhaps a sign the Sask. Party thought it could gain this traditional NDP seat. Aside from 1982-86, the NDP has held this riding since 1967. It has been previously held by NDP Premiers Roy Romanow and Lorne Calvert. Danielle Chartier, who held the seat since 2009 for the NDP, is not running again. Friesen lost to Chartier in 2016 and is running again.

Moose Jaw

Moose Jaw Wakamow

Elected: Greg Lawrence, Saskatchewan Party

Candidates: SP: Greg Lawrence, NDP: Melissa Patterson, Green Party: Abby Firlotte, PC: Darcy Jensen

Storyline: Once an NDP stronghold and the former seat of Lorne Calvert, Lawrence turned the tables in 2011 and has maintained his hold on the riding this year. Both parties spent time in Moose Jaw during the campaign. Moe made an announcement there increasing the veterans' grant program alongside Lawrence, who was the government's military liaison.

Prince Albert

Prince Albert Northcote

Candidates: SP: Alana Ross, NDP: Nicole Rancourt, Green Party: Sarah Kraynick, PC: Jaret Nikolaisen 

Current leader: Ross leads Rancourt by 222 votes

Vote by mail packages delivered: 568

Incumbent: Rancourt

2016 Margin: 261

Storyline: Like Moose Jaw, Prince Albert was a location of frequent campaign trips from Moe and Meili. The seat has flip-flopped in the last two elections, but had previously been held by the NDP from 1991to 2011. Issues like a new bridge and expansion of the Victoria Hospital are hot-button issues in the city.

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