Preston (electoral district)

Preston is a provincial electoral district in the Halifax Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It has existed from 1993 to 2013 and since 2021 and elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly.

Preston
Nova Scotia electoral district
Provincial electoral district
LegislatureNova Scotia House of Assembly
MLA
 
 
 
Twila Grosse
Progressive Conservative
District created1993, 2019
First contested1993
Last contested2023
Demographics
Population (2006)10,024
Electors7,680
Area (km²)164
Pop. density (per km²)61.1
Census division(s)Halifax Regional Municipality

The electoral district includes the majority African Nova Scotian communities of North Preston and East Preston, plus the communities of Cherry Brook, Lake Loon, Lake Echo, Mineville, Montague Gold Mines, Westphal, and part of the Tam O'Shanter Ridge neighbourhood of Dartmouth.

The electoral district was created in 1993 and was conceived to provide representation to the area's rural Black community; roughly two-thirds of the population during the district's existence was African Nova Scotian.[citation needed] It was the first riding in all of Nova Scotia to feature an entirely African Nova Scotian slate of candidates in the 2021 provincial election.[1] The electoral district was abolished following the 2012 electoral boundary review when the provincial government wanted all of the province's ridings to have equal representation.[2] It was largely replaced by the new electoral district of Preston-Dartmouth. The riding was re-created following the 2019 boundary review, mostly out of Preston-Dartmouth, but also out of parts of Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank, Cole Harbour-Portland Valley, Eastern Shore and a small part of Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley. The riding was reinstated after a court challenge that also re-instated the province's three protected Acadians ridings.[3]

Geography edit

Preston covers 164 km2 (63 sq mi) of land area.[4]

Members of the Legislative Assembly edit

The electoral district was represented by the following members of the Legislative Assembly:

Preston
LegislatureYearsMemberParty
Riding recreated from parts of Halifax Eastern Shore,
Cole Harbour and Bedford-Musquodoboit Valley.
56th 1993–1998     Wayne Adams Liberal
57th 1998–1999     Yvonne Atwell New Democratic
58th 1999–2003     David Hendsbee Progressive Conservative
59th 2003–2006     Keith Colwell Liberal
60th 2006–2009
61st 2009–2013
Riding dissolved into Preston-Dartmouth and Dartmouth East
Riding recreated from parts of Preston-Dartmouth,
Waverley-Fall River-Beaver Bank, Cole Harbour-Portland Valley,
Eastern Shore, and Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley.
64th 2021–2023     Angela Simmonds Liberal
2023–present     Twila Grosse Progressive Conservative

Election results edit

2023 by-election edit

Nova Scotia provincial by-election, August 8, 2023
Resignation of Angela Simmonds
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
Progressive ConservativeTwila Grosse1,95045.22+16.53$49,241.83
New DemocraticColter Simmonds1,14526.55-1.37$70,390.30
LiberalCarlo Simmons1,02123.68-19.71$46,215.10
GreenAnthony Edmonds1012.34$930.16
Nova Scotians UnitedBobby Taylor952.20$5,782.79
Total valid votes/Expense limit4,31299.29$76,489.21
Total rejected ballots310.71-0.08
Turnout4,34338.79-7.56
Eligible voters11,195
Progressive Conservative gain from LiberalSwing+18.12
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[5]

2021 edit

2021 Nova Scotia general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%Expenditures
LiberalAngela Simmonds2,22643.38-5.65$32,830.44
Progressive ConservativeArchy Beals1,47228.69+6.00$22,433.28
New DemocraticColter C.C. Simmonds1,43327.93+4.36$34,576.51
Total valid votes/Expense limit5,13199.21$67,272.14
Total rejected ballots410.79
Turnout5,17246.36
Eligible voters 11,157
Liberal notional holdSwing-5.82
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[6]
2017 provincial election redistributed results[7]
PartyVote%
 Liberal2,41849.04
 New Democratic1,16223.57
 Progressive Conservative1,11922.69
 Green2314.68
 Independent10.02

2009 edit

2009 Nova Scotia general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalKeith Colwell1,88843.57%1.44%
New DemocraticJanet Sutcliffe1,31430.33%11.16%
Progressive ConservativeDwayne Provo1,07624.83%-12.00%
GreenSarah Densmore551.27%-0.60%
Total4,333
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

2006 edit

2006 Nova Scotia general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalKeith Colwell1,85342.13%8.16%
Progressive ConservativeDwayne Provo1,62036.83%4.06%
New DemocraticDouglas Sparks84319.17%-12.88%
GreenDavid Farrell821.86%
Total4,398
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

2003 edit

2003 Nova Scotia general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalKeith Colwell1,41133.98%20.60%
Progressive ConservativeDavid Hendsbee1,36132.77%-14.53%
New DemocraticDouglas Sparks1,33132.05%-7.27%
MarijuanaMarc-Boris St-Maurice501.20%
Total4,153
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

1999 edit

1999 Nova Scotia general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Progressive ConservativeDavid Hendsbee1,80047.31%27.74%
New DemocraticYvonne Atwell1,49639.32%-3.67%
LiberalWendell Thomas50913.38%-24.07%
Total3,805
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

1998 edit

1998 Nova Scotia general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
New DemocraticYvonne Atwell1,77742.99%30.95%
LiberalWayne Adams1,54837.45%-1.13%
Progressive ConservativeRoss D. Isenor80919.57%-1.37%
Total4,134
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

1993 edit

1993 Nova Scotia general election
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
LiberalWayne Adams1,87238.57%
IndependentDavid Hendsbee1,38128.46%
Progressive ConservativeDarryl Gray1,01620.94%
New DemocraticYvonne Atwell58412.03%
Total4,853
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.
Nova Scotia. Chief Electoral Officer (1993). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirty-Third General Election (PDF). Queen's Printer.

References edit

  1. ^ Armstrong, Lyndsay. "Meet peninsula Halifax's new MLAs Ali Duale, Suzy Hansen and Lisa Lachance". The Coast Halifax. Retrieved 15 September 2021. There were three Black contenders in Preston this year—Liberal Simmonds beat the NDP's Colter Simmonds, the founder of We Will Win Youth Association, and PC Archy Beals—which is believed to be the first time any of Nova Scotia's ridings have had an all-Black slate of candidates.
  2. ^ Doucette, Keith. "Commission to seek input on representation for Acadians, African Nova Scotians". CTV. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  3. ^ Doucette, Keith. "Province to restore four protected ridings for Acadians, African Nova Scotians". CTV. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Find Your Electoral District for the 41st Provincial General Election". enstools.electionsnovascotia.ca. Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Preston By-election 2023". Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Statement of Votes & Statistics" (PDF). Elections Nova Scotia. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  7. ^ Transposition of Votes from the 2017 Provincial General Election to 2019 Electoral District Boundaries