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

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

Members of the Legislative Assembly

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

Preston
Legislature Years Member Party
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

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2023 by-election

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Nova Scotia provincial by-election, August 8, 2023
Resignation of Angela Simmonds
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Progressive Conservative Twila Grosse 1,950 45.22 +16.53 $49,241.83
New Democratic Colter Simmonds 1,145 26.55 -1.37 $70,390.30
Liberal Carlo Simmons 1,021 23.68 -19.71 $46,215.10
Green Anthony Edmonds 101 2.34 $930.16
Nova Scotians United Bobby Taylor 95 2.20 $5,782.79
Total valid votes/Expense limit 4,312 99.29 $76,489.21
Total rejected ballots 31 0.71 -0.08
Turnout 4,343 38.79 -7.56
Eligible voters 11,195
Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal Swing +18.12
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[5]

2021

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2021 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±% Expenditures
Liberal Angela Simmonds 2,226 43.38 -5.65 $32,830.44
Progressive Conservative Archy Beals 1,472 28.69 +6.00 $22,433.28
New Democratic Colter C.C. Simmonds 1,433 27.93 +4.36 $34,576.51
Total valid votes/Expense limit 5,131 99.21 $67,272.14
Total rejected ballots 41 0.79
Turnout 5,172 46.36
Eligible voters 11,157
Liberal notional hold Swing -5.82
Source: Elections Nova Scotia[6]
2017 provincial election redistributed results[7]
Party Vote %
  Liberal 2,418 49.04
  New Democratic 1,162 23.57
  Progressive Conservative 1,119 22.69
  Green 231 4.68
  Independent 1 0.02

2009

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2009 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Keith Colwell 1,888 43.57% 1.44%
New Democratic Janet Sutcliffe 1,314 30.33% 11.16%
Progressive Conservative Dwayne Provo 1,076 24.83% -12.00%
Green Sarah Densmore 55 1.27% -0.60%
Total 4,333
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

2006

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2006 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Keith Colwell 1,853 42.13% 8.16%
Progressive Conservative Dwayne Provo 1,620 36.83% 4.06%
New Democratic Douglas Sparks 843 19.17% -12.88%
Green David Farrell 82 1.86%
Total 4,398
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

2003

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2003 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Keith Colwell 1,411 33.98% 20.60%
Progressive Conservative David Hendsbee 1,361 32.77% -14.53%
New Democratic Douglas Sparks 1,331 32.05% -7.27%
Marijuana Marc-Boris St-Maurice 50 1.20%
Total 4,153
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

1999

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1999 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative David Hendsbee 1,800 47.31% 27.74%
New Democratic Yvonne Atwell 1,496 39.32% -3.67%
Liberal Wendell Thomas 509 13.38% -24.07%
Total 3,805
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

1998

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1998 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Yvonne Atwell 1,777 42.99% 30.95%
Liberal Wayne Adams 1,548 37.45% -1.13%
Progressive Conservative Ross D. Isenor 809 19.57% -1.37%
Total 4,134
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2021). "Electoral History for Preston" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.

1993

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1993 Nova Scotia general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Wayne Adams 1,872 38.57%
Independent David Hendsbee 1,381 28.46%
Progressive Conservative Darryl Gray 1,016 20.94%
New Democratic Yvonne Atwell 584 12.03%
Total 4,853
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

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  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