1988 Nova Scotia general election
← 1984 September 6, 1988 1993 →
52 seats of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly
27 seats needed for a majority
Turnout75.76% Increase 8.24 pp
  First party Second party Third party
 
PC
Lib
Leader John Buchanan Vince MacLean Alexa McDonough
Party Progressive Conservative Liberal New Democratic
Leader since March 6, 1971 February 22, 1986 November 16, 1980
Leader's seat Halifax Atlantic Cape Breton South Halifax Chebucto
Last election 42 6 3
Seats won 28 21 2
Seat change Decrease14 Increase15 Decrease1
Popular vote 204,150 186,007 74,038
Percentage 43.21% 39.37% 15.67%
Swing Decrease7.20pp Increase8.22pp Decrease0.20pp
Premier before election

John Buchanan
Progressive Conservative

Premier after election

John Buchanan
Progressive Conservative

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.[1]

Opinion polls

Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level
Polling firm Last day
of survey 		Source PCNS LANS NSNDP Other ME Sample
Election 1988 September 6, 1988 43.21 39.37 15.67 1.19
Angus Reid August 30, 1988 [2] 45 34 20 — 4.0 601
Omnifacts August 1988 [3] 41 40 19 — 3.5 804
Omnifacts July 1988 [4] 37 38 25 — 2.5 650
Omnifacts October 1987 [5] 35 41 24 — — 500
Omnifacts October 1986 [6] 32.7 46.9 20.4 — — —
Omnifacts July 25, 1986 [7] 30 44 25 — — 419
Election 1984 November 6, 1984 50.41 31.15 15.87 2.15

Results

Results by party

↓
28 21 2 1
Progressive Conservative Liberal New Democratic Ind
Official results [8]
Party Party leader # of
candidates 		Seats Popular vote
1984 Dissolution Elected Change # % Change (pp)
  Progressive Conservative John Buchanan 52 42 40 28 -14 204,150 43.21% -7.20%
  Liberal Vince MacLean 52 6 6 21 +15 186,007 39.37% +8.22%
  New Democratic Alexa McDonough 52 3 3 2 -1 74,038 15.67% -0.20%
  Independent 7 0 2 1 +1 5,638 1.19% +1.04%
  Vacant 1  
Total valid votes 469,833 99.45% -0.13%
Blank and invalid ballots 2,604 0.55% +0.13%
Total 163 52 52 52 – 472,437 100.00% –
Registered voters / turnout 623,586 75.76% +8.24%
Popular vote
PC
 
 43.21%
Liberal
 
 39.37%
New Democratic
 
 15.67%
Independent
 
 1.19%
Seats summary
PC
 
 53.85%
Liberal
 
 40.38%
New Democratic
 
 3.85%
Independent
 
 1.92%

Retiring incumbents

Progressive Conservative
New Democratic Party

Nominated candidates

Legend
bold denotes party leader
† denotes an incumbent who is not running for re-election or was defeated in nomination contest

Valley

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Independent
Annapolis East Graham Smith
3,188
44.33% 		Earl Rayfuse
3,519
48.93% 		Margaret Wolfe
485
6.74% 		Gerry Sheehy†
Annapolis West Greg Kerr
3,090
55.78% 		Daurene Lewis
2,068
37.33% 		Nancy Onysko
306
5.52% 		Leo E. MacDonald
76
1.37% 		Greg Kerr
Clare Guy LeBlanc
3,587
54.02% 		Nadine Boudreau
2,773
41.76% 		Jan Slakov-Crombie
280
4.22% 		Guy LeBlanc
Digby Maxine Connell
2,687
40.43% 		Joseph H. Casey
3,514
52.87% 		Susan Jamieson
445
6.70% 		Merryl Lawton†
Hants West Ron Russell
5,091
52.84% 		Donzell A. Ross
2,829
29.36% 		Penny Reid
1,715
17.80% 		Ron Russell
Kings North George Archibald
3,868
45.42% 		Glenn Ells
3,116
36.59% 		Don Fraser
1,532
17.99% 		George Archibald
Kings South Derrick Kimball
3,531
42.44% 		Perry Wallace
1,710
20.55% 		Steve Mattson
3,079
37.01% 		Bob Levy†
Kings West George Moody
5,899
59.61% 		Frank Bezanson
3,114
31.47% 		Ralph Lynch
883
8.92% 		George Moody

South Shore

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Independent
Argyle Neil LeBlanc
3,798
64.14% 		Rick Murphy
1,862
31.45% 		Raymond Ethier
261
4.41% 		Neil LeBlanc
Lunenburg Centre Al Mosher
5,071
46.52% 		Don Zwicker
4,024
36.92% 		Muriel Maybee
1,805
16.56% 		Maxine Cochran†
Lunenburg East Richard P. Eldridge
2,352
38.91% 		Jim Barkhouse
3,024
50.02% 		Wanda Broome
623
10.31% 		Malcolm Callaway
46
0.76% 		Jim Barkhouse
Lunenburg West Marie Dechman
3,511
42.34% 		Jack Logan
3,243
39.11% 		John Scott
1,539
18.56% 		Mel Pickings†
Queens John Leefe
4,099
56.04% 		Dave Randall
2,228
30.46% 		Margo Kleiker
988
13.51% 		John Leefe
Shelburne Tim Van Zoost
4,241
41.85% 		Harold Huskilson
5,224
51.54% 		Ralph Niessen
670
6.61% 		Harold Huskilson
Yarmouth Leroy Legere
4,479
44.86% 		Fraser Mooney
4,138
41.44% 		Brian Noble
1,368
13.70% 		Alex McIntosh†

Fundy-Northeast

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Independent
Colchester North Jack Coupar
4,097
44.85% 		Ed Lorraine
4,260
46.63% 		Penny Marchbank
778
8.52% 		Jack Coupar
Colchester South R. Colin Stewart
3,855
56.11% 		Larry Thomas
2,462
35.83% 		Julia A. Skipper
554
8.06% 		R. Colin Stewart
Cumberland Centre Scott Lockart
1,108
25.26% 		Guy Brown
3,117
71.05% 		Gary Thomas
162
3.69% 		Guy Brown
Cumberland East Roger Stuart Bacon
4,758
52.31% 		Carolyn Drysdale
3,276
36.02% 		Jim Mitchell
1,062
11.68% 		Roger Stuart Bacon
Cumberland West Gardner Hurley
2,306
44.31% 		Ross Bragg
2,389
45.91% 		Barbara Jack
509
9.78% 		Gardner Hurley
Hants East Cora Etter
3,977
41.60% 		Jack Hawkins
4,502
47.09% 		Richard Preeper
1,082
11.32% 		Cora Etter
Truro—Bible Hill Ron Giffin
4,479
50.43% 		Kirby Eileen Grant
3,490
39.30% 		Carol Martin
912
10.27% 		Ron Giffin

Central Halifax

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Independent
Halifax Bedford Basin Joel Matheson
6,462
45.56% 		Penny LaRocque
4,977
35.09% 		John Dunsworth
2,746
19.36% 		Joel Matheson
Halifax Chebucto J. Clair Callaghan
3,214
35.72% 		Penny Doherty
2,546
28.30% 		Alexa McDonough
3,238
35.99% 		Alexa McDonough
Halifax Citadel Art Donahoe
3,283
35.11% 		Jay Abbass
2,882
30.82% 		Eileen O'Connell
3,057
32.70% 		Frank J. Fawson
128
1.37% 		Art Donahoe
Halifax Cornwallis Terry Donahoe
4,195
39.91% 		Liz Crocker
4,013
38.18% 		Allan O'Brien
2,304
21.92% 		Terry Donahoe
Halifax Needham Randy Dewell
2,116
25.56% 		Gerry O'Malley
3,469
41.91% 		Maureen MacDonald
2,693
32.53% 		Edmund L. Morris†

Suburban Halifax

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Independent
Bedford-Musquodoboit Valley Ken Streatch
5,740
51.49% 		Geoff Regan
3,803
34.12% 		Susan Coldwell
1,604
14.39% 		Ken Streatch
Halifax Atlantic John Buchanan
6,284
56.33% 		Doug Adams
2,763
24.77% 		Rene Quigley
1,976
17.71% 		Arthur R. Canning
77
0.69%
Emanuel Jannasch
55
0.49% 		John Buchanan
Halifax-St. Margaret's Jerry Lawrence
4,574
37.31% 		Kevin Burke
4,061
33.13% 		Bill Estabrooks
3,623
29.56% 		Jerry Lawrence
Sackville Dave Grace
4,774
31.78% 		Bruce Stephen
4,816
32.06% 		John Holm
5,430
36.15% 		John Holm

Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Eastern Shore

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Independent
Cole Harbour David Nantes
6,280
47.58% 		Alan Mitchell
4,892
37.06% 		Flora Christie
2,027
15.36% 		David Nantes
Dartmouth East Jack Greenough
4,940
40.88% 		Jim Smith
5,193
42.98% 		Maureen Vine
1,950
16.14% 		Jim Smith
Dartmouth North Laird Stirling
3,389
41.64% 		Sandy Jolly
3,510
43.13% 		Brenda Thompson
1,239
15.22% 		Laird Stirling
Dartmouth South Roland J. Thornhill
4,449
47.33% 		Allan Peters
2,987
31.78% 		Joanne Lamey
1,963
20.89% 		Roland J. Thornhill
Halifax Eastern Shore Tom McInnis
5,762
54.01% 		Eric Hill
3,810
35.71% 		David Noseworthy
1,097
10.28% 		Tom McInnis

Central Nova

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Independent
Antigonish Bill Garvie
4,463
39.57% 		Bill Gillis
6,004
53.24% 		Bill Woodfine
811
7.19% 		Bill Gillis
Guysborough Chuck MacNeil
4,508
58.23% 		Joe Sullivan
3,454
44.93% 		Sarah Wilson
503
6.54% 		Chuck MacNeil
Pictou Centre Jack MacIsaac
6,566
57.80% 		Bob Leahy
3,116
27.43% 		Gerard Currie
1,677
14.76% 		Jack MacIsaac
Pictou East Donald Cameron
3,996
49.84% 		Wayne Fraser
3,243
40.45% 		Cecil MacNeil
778
9.70% 		Donald Cameron
Pictou West Donald P. McInnes
3,824
54.74% 		John J. Henderson
2,278
32.61% 		Geoff Moore
884
12.65% 		Donald P. McInnes

Cape Breton

Electoral district Candidates Incumbent
PC Liberal NDP Independent
Cape Breton Centre Harold MacDonald
2,210
27.50% 		Wayne Connors
3,681
45.80% 		John Wilson
2,146
26.70% 		Mike Laffin†
Cape Breton East Bruce Clark
4,014
35.39% 		John MacEachern
5,739
50.60% 		Terry McVarish
1,590
14.02% 		Donnie MacLeod†
Cape Breton North Brian Young
6,018
60.68% 		Robert E. McGrath
2,042
20.59% 		Gerald Yetman
1,858
18.73% 		Brian Young
Cape Breton Nova Joe Burke
1,060
14.05% 		Dan MacRury
2,603
34.51% 		Terry Crawley
686
9.09% 		Paul MacEwan
3,194
42.34% 		Paul MacEwan
Cape Breton South Murdock Smith
3,461
27.78% 		Vince MacLean
7,820
62.76% 		Ed MacLeod
1,179
9.46% 		Vince MacLean
Cape Breton—The Lakes John Newell
3,282
35.52% 		Bernie Boudreau
4,192
45.37% 		Helen MacDonald
1,766
19.11% 		John Newell
Cape Breton West "Big" Donnie MacLeod
4,050
35.87% 		Russell MacKinnon
6,133
54.31% 		Con Mills
1,109
9.82% 		"Big" Donnie MacLeod
Inverness North Norman J. MacLean
2,865
36.16% 		Charles MacArthur
3,666
46.27% 		Ben Boucher
1,392
17.57% 		Norman J. MacLean
Inverness South Archie MacLachlan
866
15.87% 		Danny Graham
2,185
40.03% 		Martin Beaton
345
6.32% 		Billy Joe MacLean
2,062
37.78% 		Billy Joe MacLean
Richmond Robert F. Martel
3,135
41.70% 		Richie Mann
3,528
46.93% 		Clair Rankin
855
11.37% 		Vacant
Victoria Fisher Hudson
2,076
39.40% 		Kennie MacAskill
2,719
51.60% 		Fraser Patterson
474
9.00% 		Fisher Hudson

References

  1. ^ "John Dunsworth: The Candidate, A Neal Livingston Film".
  2. ^ Beltrame, Julian (September 2, 1988). "Buchanan will win again: poll". The Gazette. p. B1.
  3. ^ "Patronage charge stirs up election campaign in N.S.; Tories and Grits in dead heat: poll". The Ottawa Citizen. August 25, 1988. p. A16.
  4. ^ "Tories, Grits 'dead even' in N.S. poll". The Windsor Star. August 4, 1988. p. A6.
  5. ^ "N.S. voters back Grits over Tories, opinion poll finds". The Globe and Mail. October 16, 1987. p. A5.
  6. ^ Beltrame, Julian (October 31, 1986). "Premier cries as legislature ousts pal". The Ottawa Citizen. p. A1.
  7. ^ "Grits top N.S. poll". The Calgary Herald. August 1, 1986. p. B7.
  8. ^ "Election Returns 1988" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
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