Saskatoon Meewasin byelection: NDP claims victory as Teed takes commanding share of vote
Saskatchewan New Democratic Party candidate Nathaniel Teed had a strong lead once the count got underway in the Saskatoon Meewasin byelection — a trend that never faltered as the night wore on.
Just before 10 p.m., with all 53 ballot boxes reporting, the mood was jubilant at Teed's election night party at the Park Town Hotel after the NDP candidate captured a commanding 57 per cent of the vote.
In a news release issued later in the evening, NDP Leader Carla Beck claimed victory.
“I am truly honoured to welcome Nathaniel Teed to the NDP team – our newest and youngest member of the Saskatchewan legislature," Beck said in the release.
"Nathaniel inspired so many people in the riding with his hard work, dedication, and unbridled enthusiasm."
According to the NDP, Teed is the first openly gay person elected to the Legislative Assembly.
"I can only imagine what this win means to the 2SLGBTQ+ community, both young and old," Beck said.
"Representation is really important to me," Teed said while speaking with reporters while celebrating his win.
"And I believe that this is a step forward in ensuring that diverse voices are heard in the legislature," Teed said.
The NDP also said Teed's win was notable for another reason. Teed took the largest percentage of the vote of any candidate in 40 years, the party said.
Saskatchewan Party candidate Kim Groff came in second place with 37 per cent of the vote.
While the initial counts showing promise were greeted with cheers, the mood soon became somber at Groff's election night gathering at his downtown Saskatoon campaign office.
Groff said he believed the race would be "closer."
"Just the conversations we had with people on the doorsteps were excellent. They're a very engaged electorate and (they were) good conversations, and we anticipated it to be closer," Groff said.
"We hoped for a different result tonight, certainly that's why we ran. We had a good candidate, a great team," Premier Scott Moe said while speaking to media at Groff's campaign office.
"You know at the end of the day, this is this is a challenging seat — not only for us — but it has been a challenging seat for the opposition NDP as well in elections gone by," Moe said.
By the end of the night, Saskatchewan Liberal Party leader Jeff Walters and Buffalo Party candidate Mark Friesen trailed far behind with just under 3 per cent of the tally each.
The Green Party's Jacklin Andrews captured just over one per cent of the vote.
The byelection was triggered following former NDP leader Ryan Meili's departure from the legislature in June.
Meili stepped down as leader following a bylection loss earlier this year in a constituency widely seen as an NDP stronghold.
According to Elections Saskatchewan, 2,575 votes were cast during five days of advance polling.
That represents a significant uptick from the last Saskatoon Meewasin byelection held in 2017, where 1,737 votes were cast in advance polling.
Monday evening's tally represented the first preliminary count in the byelection.
A second preliminary count of mail-in ballots which will occur on Sept. 28 is unlikely to significantly affect the outcome of the byelection.
The final count is set for Oct. 8.
With files from Dan Shingoose and Laura Woodward.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6979388.1722030190!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Celine Dion delivers stirring comeback performance at Paris Olympics opening ceremony
Against the rainy Paris night sky, Celine Dion staged the comeback of her career with a powerful performance from the Eiffel Tower to open the Olympic Games.
Jasper wildfire: 'Several weeks' before residents can return, premier says
Premier Danielle Smith said Friday afternoon in Hinton while weather conditions are cooler, the Jasper fire is still considered out of control and that Jasper residents can expect to be away from their homes 'for several weeks.'
Missing 3-year-old boy found dead in creek in Mississauga, Ont.: police
A three-year-old boy has been found dead a day after he went missing in a park in Mississauga, Ont., Peel police say.
Irish museum pulls Sinead O'Connor waxwork after just one day due to backlash
An Irish museum will withdraw a waxwork of singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor just one day after installing it, following a backlash from her family and the public, it told CNN in a statement on Friday.
Winnipeg senior's account overdrawn for $146,000 water bill
A Winnipeg senior is getting soaked with a six-figure water bill.
FBI says Trump was indeed struck by bullet during assassination attempt
Nearly two weeks after Donald Trump’s near assassination, the FBI confirmed Friday that it was indeed a bullet that struck the former president’s ear, moving to clear up conflicting accounts about what caused the former U.S. president’s injuries after a gunman opened fire at a Pennsylvania rally.
Driver charged after flashing high beams at approaching police
Orillia OPP arrested and charged a driver with impaired driving after flashing their high beams.
Turpel-Lafond won't sue CBC over Cree heritage report that took 'heavy toll': lawyer
The lawyer for a former judge whose claims to be Cree were questioned in a CBC investigation says his client is not considering legal action against the broadcaster after the Law Society of British Columbia this week backed her claims of Indigenous heritage.
Major Canadian bank experiences direct deposit outage on payday
Scotiabank says it has fixed a technical issue that impacted direct deposits on Friday morning.