1985 Newfoundland general election

1985 Newfoundland general election

←  1982 April 2, 1985 (1985-04-02) 1989  →
52 seats of the Newfoundland House of Assembly 27 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	77.3% ( 0.2 pp) [1]
First party Second party Third party   LIB NDP Leader Brian Peckford Leo Barry Peter Fenwick Party Progressive Conservative Liberal New Democratic Leader since 17 March 1979 1984 1981 Leader's seat Green Bay Mount Scio Menihek Last election 44 8 0 Seats won 36 15 1 Seat change 8 7 1 Popular vote 134,893 102,016 39,954 Percentage 48.6% 36.7% 14.4% Swing 12.5pp 1.6pp 10.7pp
Premier before election Brian Peckford Progressive Conservative Premier after election Brian Peckford Progressive Conservative

The 1985 Newfoundland general election was held on 2 April 1985 to elect members of the 40th General Assembly of Newfoundland. It was won by the Progressive Conservative party under Premier Brian Peckford.

Results

	Party	Leader	1982	Seats won	% change	Popular vote	(%)
	Progressive Conservative	Brian Peckford	44	36	-18%	134,893	48.6%
	Liberal	Leo Barry	8	15	+88%	102,016	36.7%
	New Democratic	Peter Fenwick	0	1	100%	39,954	14.4%
	Other		0	0	0%	778	0.3%
Totals			52	52	-	278,502	100%

Results by district

• Names in boldface type represent party leaders.
• † indicates that the incumbent did not run again.

St. John's

Electoral district	Candidates						Incumbent
	PC		Liberal		NDP
Kilbride 76.04% turnout		Robert Aylward 3,668 56.71%		Joseph Sala 1,170 18.09%		Alfred Sullivan 1,630 25.20%		Robert Aylward
Pleasantville 74.33% turnout		Jerome Dinn 3,003 47.13%		Walter Noel 2,196 34.47%		Paul Ring 1,172 18.40%		Jerome Dinn
St. John's Centre 73.55% turnout		Patrick McNicholas 3,332 50.97%		Mary Philpott 2,229 34.10%		Nina Patey 976 14.93%		Patrick McNicholas
St. John's East 72.79% turnout		William Marshall 2,738 50.18%		Hugh Shea 738 13.52%		Gene Long 1,981 36.30%		William Marshall
St. John's North 72.14% turnout		John Carter 2,631 48.64%		Judi Murphy 1,347 26.46%		Dorothy Inglis 1,431 26.46%		John Carter
St. John's South 64.28% turnout		John Collins 2,466 54.38%		Dolores Linehan 1,145 25.25%		Bob Matthews 924 20.37%		John Collins
St. John's West 67.08% turnout		Harold Barrett 3,382 52.15%		Gerald Moore 1,595 24.60%		Thomas O'Leary 1,508 23.25%		Harold Barrett
Waterford-Kenmount 70.65% turnout		Gerry Ottenheimer 3,251 56.98%		Eric Adams 1,401 24.55%		Wallace Day 1,054 18.47%		Gerry Ottenheimer

St. John's suburbs

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	PC		Liberal		NDP		Other
Conception Bay South 73.51% turnout		John Butt 2,179 48.80%		Ron Clarke 1,737 38.90%		Art Dawe 353 7.91%		Gordon Dawe (Independent) 196 4.39%		John Butt
Mount Pearl 73.16% turnout		Neil Windsor 3,365 54.97%		Boyd Batten 1,432 23.40%		Leo Thistle 1,324 21.63%				Neil Windsor
Mount Scio-Bell Island 83.79% turnout		James Hearn 2,879 42.19%		Leo Barry 3,321 48.67%		Gerry Panting 624 9.14%				Leo Barry
St. John's East Extern 80.50% turnout		Tom Hickey 3,489 55.66%		Fred Littlejohn 1,410 22.49%		Robert Anderson 1,370 21.85%				Tom Hickey

Avalon Peninsula

Electoral district	Candidates						Incumbent
	PC		Liberal		NDP
Carbonear 80.91% turnout		Milton Peach 3,203 50.58%		Rod Moores 2,712 42.82%		Isabelle King 418 6.60%		Milton Peach
Ferryland 82.12% turnout		Charlie Power 2,537 55.52%		Helen Kenny 687 15.03%		Adrian Sullivan 1,346 29.45%		Charlie Power
Harbour Grace 83.50% turnout		Haig Young 2,729 50.91%		John Crane 2,498 46.61%		Helen Porter 133 2.48%		Haig Young
Harbour Main 79.27% turnout		Norman Doyle 3,784 58.88%		Jerry Lewis 398 6.19%		George Flaherty 2,245 34.93%		Norman Doyle
Placentia 83.78% turnout		William Patterson 2,295 50.15%		Rex Murphy 2,149 46.96%		Kevin Walsh 132 2.89%		William Patterson
Port de Grave 84.58% turnout		Randy W. Collins 2,657 40.40%		John Efford 3,614 54.96%		Byron Petten 305 4.64%		Randy W. Collins
St. Mary's-The Capes 80.11% turnout		Loyola Hearn 3,125 73.76%		Marie Walsh 733 17.30%		Leo Coffey 379 8.94%		Loyola Hearn
Trinity-Bay de Verde 77.49% turnout		James Reid 2,369 48.21%		Walter Brown 1,860 37.85%		Bert Pitcher 685 13.94%		James Reid

Eastern Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	PC		Liberal		NDP		Other
Bellevue 80.27% turnout		Basil Jamieson 2,852 43.91%		Wilson Callan 3,030 46.65%		Mose Ingram 613 9.44%				Wilson Callan
Bonavista North 85.03% turnout		George Cross 2,861 47.27%		Tom Lush 2,983 49.29%		John Blackwood 150 2.48%		Wayne Davis (Independent) 58 0.96%		George Cross
Bonavista South 66.73% turnout		Jim Morgan 2,424 58.61%		Ancel Johnson 1,193 28.84%		Harry Faulkner 519 12.55%				Jim Morgan
Fogo 84.14% turnout		Wayne Wheaton 2,580 44.21%		Beaton Tulk 3,124 53.53%		Hayward Cross 132 2.26%				Beaton Tulk
Terra Nova 74.23% turnout		Glen Greening 2,857 56.03%		Everett Cross 2,099 41.17%				Gordon Genge (Independent) 143 2.80%		Glen Greening
Trinity North 74.52% turnout		Charlie Brett 3,137 56.90%		Myra Moore 2,082 37.76%		Bill Abbott 294 5.34%				Charlie Brett

Central Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates						Incumbent
	PC		Liberal		NDP
Baie Verte-White Bay 82.42% turnout		Tom Rideout 2,532 51.87%		Harold Small 2,127 43.58%		Richard Shelley 222 4.55%		Tom Rideout
Exploits 65.70% turnout		Hugh Twomey 2,805 53.55%		Gerald Thompson 1,517 28.96%		Ron Chafe 916 17.49%		Hugh Twomey
Gander 77.25% turnout		Hazel Newhook 2,319 39.51%		Winston Baker 3,309 56.38%		Joe Tremblett 241 4.11%		Hazel Newhook
Grand Falls 89.53% turnout		Len Simms 2,208 44.25%		George Anderson 615 12.32%		Bryan Blackmore 2,167 43.43%		Len Simms
Green Bay 70.36% turnout		Brian Peckford 3,373 68.56%		Renold Clarke 1,254 25.49%		Mervyn Poole 293 5.95%		Brian Peckford
Lewisporte 71.07% turnout		James Russell 3,035 52.40%		Joy Sceviour 2,551 44.04%		William Fogwill 206 3.56%		James Russell
Twillingate 71.51% turnout		Ida Reid 1,874 44.59%		Walter Carter 2,329 55.41%				Ida Reid
Windsor-Buchans 81.18% turnout		John McLennon 1,726 37.48%		Graham Flight 2,547 55.31%		John Budden 332 7.21%		John McLennon

Southern Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates						Incumbent
	PC		Liberal		NDP
Burgeo-Bay d'Espoir 78.39% turnout		Harold Andrews 2,062 47.75%		Dave Gilbert 2,256 52.25%				Harold Andrews
Burin-Placentia West 85.16% turnout		Glenn Tobin 3,869 53.59%		Wilson Brown 2,794 38.70%		Chesley Cribb 557 7.71%		Glenn Tobin
Fortune-Hermitage 81.12% turnout		Don Stewart 2,254 45.57%		Roger Simmons 2,535 51.25%		Joe Edwards 157 3.18%		Don Stewart
Grand Bank 79.89% turnout		Bill Matthews 3,028 49.25%		Maxwell Snook 2,689 43.74%		Calvin Peach 431 7.01%		Bill Matthews
La Poile 76.22% turnout		Cal Mitchell 2,138 40.88%		Noreen Saunders 1,797 34.36%		Stephen MacKenzie 1,295 24.76%		Steve Neary†

Western Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	PC		Liberal		NDP		Other
Bay of Islands 77.51% turnout		Ted Blanchard 2,419 43.24%		Graham Watton 2,404 42.98%		Jeanette Leitch 771 13.78%				Luke Woodrow†
Humber East 77.87% turnout		Lynn Verge 2,955 44.63%		Keith Payne 2,670 40.33%		Stuart Fraser 996 15.04%				Lynn Verge
Humber Valley 76.40% turnout		Rick Woodford 2,197 47.64%		David Hedd 1,804 39.11%		Terry Brazil 611 13.25%				Vacant [a]
Humber West 79.49% turnout		Ray Baird 2,195 38.90%		Scott Simmons 2,112 37.43%		Frank Burke 1,273 22.56%		Derek Woodman (Independent) 63 1.11%		Ray Baird
Port au Port 85.25% turnout		Jim Hodder 2,429 53.33%		Sandy Chisholm 1,203 26.41%		Bob Cormier 923 20.26%				Jim Hodder
St. Barbe 78.83% turnout		Everett Osmond 2,752 41.26%		Chuck Furey 2,768 41.50%		Ed Broaders 1,150 17.24%				Everett Osmond
St. George's 78.77% turnout		Ron Dawe 2,729 56.03%		Francis Berkshire 1,914 39.29%		Ken Gould 228 4.68%				Ron Dawe
Stephenville 78.86% turnout		Frederick Stagg 1,690 40.21%		Kevin Aylward 2,185 51.99%		Marion McEachren 328 7.80%				Frederick Stagg
Strait of Belle Isle 75.92% turnout		George Sutton 1,077 18.07%		Chris Decker 3,136 52.61%		Max Short 1,430 23.99%		Wade Reid (Independent) 318 5.33%		Edward Roberts†

Labrador

Electoral district	Candidates						Incumbent
	PC		Liberal		NDP
Eagle River 78.19% turnout		Stanley Pike 781 30.94%		Eugene Hiscock 1,170 46.36%		Claude Rumbolt 573 22.70%		Eugene Hiscock
Menihek 90.82% turnout		Alec Snow 2,610 45.39%		Andrew Spracklin 299 5.20%		Peter Fenwick 2,841 49.41%		Peter Fenwick
Naskaupi 86.06% turnout		Joseph Goudie 1,454 33.28%		Jim Kelland 2,685 61.46%		Barbara Maidment 230 5.26%		Joseph Goudie
Torngat Mountains 81.69% turnout		Garfield Warren 589 51.80%		Melvin Woodward 463 40.72%		John Terriak 85 7.48%		Garfield Warren

Notes

1. Wallace House had been elected in 1982, but he died on February 3, 1985, leaving the seat vacant.

References

1. "Election Returns 1985" (PDF). Elections NL . Retrieved March 31, 2025.

Further reading

• Byers, R. B., ed. (1988). Canadian Annual Review of Politics and Public Affairs, 1985 . Toronto: University of Toronto Press. ISBN   9781442671980.