A record-setting election

The crowd of Sask. Party supporters watch as leader Brad Wall delivers his victory speech from Swift Current. Photo by Lisa Schick.

by Lisa Schick

The record for highest popular vote in Saskatchewan has sat at 57 per cent for 99 years. But the Saskatchewan Party shattered it Monday night with preliminary reports of the party winning more than 64 per cent of the popular vote.

The NDP suffered some huge upsets election night tying their all-time low for seats (nine) and sinking more than five per cent lower than their lowest historic popular vote.

The NDP lost 11 seats to the Sask. Party and lost their leader as well. Dwain Lingenfelter resigned immediately after his concession speech.

 “Well, I think that obviously as a leader when things go well, you share the credit. But obviously as a leader when you don’t succeed, that’s my responsibility, and I’ve taken full responsibility for that,” Lingenfelter said a speech to NDP supporters gathered at Regina’s Ramada Hotel.

Across the street at the Hotel Saskatchewan, Sask. Party supporters erupted in cheers when the results of Regina Douglas Park flashed across the screen.

In the riding in which two party leaders were running, for the NDP and the Greens, neither won. Sask. Party candidate Russ Marchuk was elected over Lingenfelter with 52 per cent of the popular vote over Lingenfelter’s 41 per cent. Green leader Victor Lau trailed with 6.7 per cent. 

“You never enter a race unless you think you have a chance to win, and all along we thought we had a chance to win,” said Marchuk.

One of the other seats taken over by the Sask. Party is a 20-year NDP seat, Regina-Dewdney, won by first-time candidate Gene Makowsky. Makowsky played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders in the 2011 season but was mum on whether this election meant the end to his football career.

“I signed up for it and I wanted to win, and I got a win, it’ll be different challenges certainly than football, but I’m looking forward to those challenges and working hard for the people in Regina-Dewdney,” said Makowsky.

After a night of upsets in favour of the Sask. Party there is at least one seat that is no surprise. Brad Wall took his riding by more than 4,700 votes and 64 per cent of the popular vote.

In his speech at about 10 p.m., Wall talked mostly about the party across the province but he said it was an “unqualified honour” to represent the people of the Swift Current constituency.

“It's an honour to be elected as an MLA, and then to have the job as premier of this province at such a historic time in our history,” he said.