November 7, 2007 (2007-11-07) 2011 → 30 seats, 44.68% 0 seats, 14.18% 30 0 Start date November 7, 2007 | 28 seats, 39.35% 30 seats, 44.68% 28 30 38 20 | |
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Winner Brad Wall | ||
The 26th Saskatchewan general election was held on November 7, 2007; the writ was dropped on October 10, 2007. The election determined the composition of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.
Contents
The Saskatchewan New Democratic Party government of Premier Lorne Calvert was defeated by the Saskatchewan Party, led by Brad Wall. It was only the third time in the province's history that a centre-right party had won power.
Campaign
Lorne Calvert, Premier of Saskatchewan and leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP), advised the Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan to call an election for November 7, 2007. In the 2003 election, the NDP won 30 of 58 seats to form a majority government. The Saskatchewan Party, then led by Elwin Hermanson, won 28 seats in that election.
Following that election, Hermanson resigned as leader, and Swift Current MLA Brad Wall was acclaimed as his successor in March 2004.
The NDP promised to create places for 10,000 new post-secondary students, and to lower the tuition by $1,000. The Saskatchewan Party countered with a promise of a tuition rebate of up to $20,000 after graduation, spread over seven years.
Wall adopted a more moderate policy platform to make the Saskatchewan Party attractive to voters outside its rural base. This strategy paid off; by the spring of 2007 the Saskatchewan Party was well ahead in most opinion polling.
Five New Democratic incumbents – Graham Addley, Mark Wartman, Maynard Sonntag, Lon Borgerson and Glenn Hagel – were defeated. Sonntag was initially declared elected in Meadow Lake on election night, but was declared defeated the following day after a reported tabulation error. This result was confirmed following the counting of absentee ballots on November 19.
The other five seat gains for the Saskatchewan Party came in districts where the New Democratic incumbent did not stand for reelection.
10 closest ridings
- Moose Jaw North: Warren Michelson (SK Party) def. Glenn Hagel (NDP) by 33 votes
- Meadow Lake: Jeremy Harrison (SK Party) def. Maynard Sonntag (NDP) by 36 votes
- Prince Albert Carlton: Darryl Hickie (SK Party) def. Chad Nilson (NDP) by 61 votes
- Regina Qu'Appelle Valley: Laura Ross (SK Party) def. Mark Wartman (NDP) by 204 votes
- Regina South: Bill Hutchinson (SK Party) def. Yens Pedersen (NDP) by 255 votes
- Saskatoon Sutherland: Joceline Schriemer (SK Party) def. Graham Addley (NDP) by 269 votes
- Saskatoon Meewasin: Frank Quennell (NDP) def. Roger Parent (SK Party) by 299 votes
- Saskatoon Greystone: Rob Norris (SK Party) def. Andrew Mason (NDP) by 308 votes
- Saskatoon Eastview: Judy Junor (NDP) def. Terry Alm (SK Party) by 310 votes
- The Battlefords: Len Taylor (NDP) def. Herb Cox (SK Party) by 312 votes
Riding-by-riding results
People in bold represent cabinet ministers and the Speaker. Party leaders are italicized. The symbol " ** " represents MLAs who did not run again.
Notes
1 Dan Harder, the Saskatchewan Party candidate in Regina Walsh Acres, withdrew his candidacy on October 27, 2007 after the party learned the details of a complaint of inappropriate conduct made against him by employees of Big Brothers of Regina in 2006 while he was executive director of the organization.