Saskatchewan NDP Leader Cam Broten says he's going to spend a couple of days with his family, speak with colleagues and consider how the party moves forward after a crushing election result.
The New Democrats won just 10 of the 61 seats in the legislature after voters went to the polls Monday.
Broten even lost his own seat in a tight race in Saskatoon Westview.
"The overall results of this election are disappointing," Broten said in a statement Tuesday.
"But New Democrats won't be disheartened for long. We are and always have been a group driven to build a stronger, fairer, and kinder province. That work will continue."
Broten says it has been a great honour to serve as a member of the legislature for eight years.
The NDP held just nine seats going into the election and had hoped to make gains to show momentum on the party's rebuilding efforts.
It was Broten's first election as party leader.
Supporters such as Saskatoon MLA Cathy Sproule wouldn't speculate on whether Broten could still function as leader if the results stand after an expected judicial recount.
"It is some of the decisions we're going to have to look at tomorrow when we get up in the morning and see where the dust settles," she said Monday. "But Cam's our leader. He's done a fantastic job and I'm very proud of him."
Broten is the second straight leader to lose his seat -- joining Dwain Lingenfelter who was defeated in Regina in the 2011 election.
The Saskatchewan NDP under Roy Romanow and his successor Lorne Calvert governed the province from 1991 to 2007 when they were defeated by the Saskatchewan Party and Brad Wall.
Long-time MLA David Forbes, who served in the Calvert cabinet, said it's difficult to say what happened to the NDP of old.
"With democracy, people have the ability to choose and they felt they wanted a change for whatever reasons," Forbes said.
"We just have to work harder and harder and make sure that when we're out there we find what will make people come back."
Wall says the NDP was "pretty effective" with nine members in the legislature. They did a very good job on the issue of long-term care, he added.
Wall also says he spoke with Broten about possible next steps.
"I would just indicate, as we already have to the Opposition, that should Mr. Broten decide that he would like to perhaps run in a byelection, if one of his members wants to step aside for him, that we would co-operate and work to call that byelection right away so that he could take his seat, or that he could contest a seat, in the legislature," said Wall.
