Saskatchewan Party wins 5th consecutive majority government
Some tight races in Saskatoon, Regina, Prince Albert too close to call
The Saskatchewan Party will remain the governing party of the Prairie province it is named after.
The win is the party's fifth consecutive majority government — a streak not seen since Tommy Douglas led the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation party (CCF) to five straight majorities in the province from 1944 to 1961.
The victory means Scott Moe will continue to be Saskatchewan's premier. He is projected to retain his seat in the Rosthern-Shellbrook constituency.
Moe spoke to cheering supporters at the Richardson Pioneer Recreation Centre in Shellbrook after the results came in.
"You know and believe, as do I, that Saskatchewan's best days are still ahead of us and you believe that the Saskatchewan Party is the best choice to lead Saskatchewan to that brighter future," he said.
So far, Saskatchewan Party candidates are projected to win seats in 32 ridings, one more than the 31 needed for a majority in the province. The party is is also leading in three of the seven ridings that are still too close to call.
CBC is also projecting NDP Leader Carla Beck will retain her position as the leader of the Opposition. Her riding is Regina Lakeview.
The NDP is projected to have won 22 seats and is leading in four others still too close to call. This represents a substantial gain for her party, which won 13 seats in the 2020 election.
Beck conceded the 2024 provincial election to the Saskatchewan Party during a speech at the DoubleTree Hotel in Regina.
"Friends, we came so close," she said.
"We might not have crossed the finish line first tonight but, my friends, we have changed the landscape in this province."
During his speech, Moe acknowledged that the victory was closer than other recent election wins for his party.
"I've heard the message that was delivered here this evening and the Saskatchewan Party will be a government that works for all of the people of Saskatchewan," he said.
There were seven ridings in the province still too close for CBC's decision desk to call as the night drew to a close. CBC will continue populating this page with live results as they come in from Elections Saskatchewan.
Former cabinet minister Donna Harpauer, who did not run for re-election, said she believed this election would show a "fairly wide" divide between the urban and rural regions.
"Ultimately, in this province of Saskatchewan, we're very centre, and in order to keep both urban and rural supporting you and supporting the initiatives that you put forward, you've got to always keep to the centre," she said in an interview conducted before the final victory projection was made.
In his speech, Moe downplayed the idea that the election indicated a divide in the province's population.
"I know, regardless of who you voted for in this election, you did so because you wanted what was best for the province that we know, love and live in," he said. "In this, I would say, each of us is united."
Other party leaders projected to lose ridings
The Saskatchewan Party and NDP are projected to make up the entirety of the Saskatchewan Legislature, with leaders and candidates from the other five registered parties — the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan, the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Green Party, the Saskatchewan Progress Party and the Saskatchewan United Party — projected to be defeated in all the races they are competing in.
Former Saskatchewan Party minister Lori Carr is projected to win Estevan-Big Muddy, defeating Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan Leader Phil Zajac.
Saskatchewan United Party Leader Jon Hromek is projected to lose the race in the Lumsden-Morse riding to the Saskatchewan Party's Blaine McLeod.
Meanwhile, the Saskatchewan Party candidate in the Humboldt-Watrous riding, Racquel Hilbert, is projected to defeat Progressive Conservative Leader Rose Buscholl.
Green Party Leader Naomi Hunter is projected to lose in Saskatoon Riversdale to NDP's Kim Breckner.
Most cabinet ministers hold onto seats
Most of the Saskatchewan Party's former cabinet minister who ran for re-election are projected to win:
- Lori Carr, Estevan-Big Muddy.
- Jeremy Cockrill, The Battlefords.
- Jeremy Harrison, Meadow Lake.
- Terry Jenson, Warman.
- David Marit, Wood River.
- Tim McLeod, Moose Jaw North.
- Jim Reiter, Rosetown-Delisle.
- Colleen Young, Lloydminster.
Three former ministers are projected to lose their races to NDP candidates:
- Laura Ross, Regina Rochdale.
- Gene Makowsky, Regina University.
- Bronwyn Eyre, Saskatoon Stonebridge.
Meanwhile, former ministers Paul Merriman and Christine Tell both trail in races still too close to call before mail-in ballots are counted later this week.
Entering the 2024 election, the governing Saskatchewan Party held 42 of the 61 seats in the legislature, while the Opposition NDP had 14. Three seats were held by Independents and one by Saskatchewan United. One seat was vacant after Gordon Wyant, a Saskatchewan Party MLA, resigned to run as a candidate in Saskatoon's upcoming mayoral race.
In the 2020 election, the Saskatchewan Party formed government with 48 seats to the NDP's 13. No other party landed a seat in the legislature.
A few seats changed hands following that election — the NDP took control of two Regina seats in byelections but lost its long-held Athabasca seat, in the province's north, to the Saskatchewan Party.
About 32,000 people applied to vote by mail this time, according to chief electoral officer, Michael Boda. Those received by Saturday will be counted on Oct. 30.
Boda said the final vote count will happen on Nov. 9, including mail-in ballots received after Saturday.
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