2003 Newfoundland and Labrador general election

2003 Newfoundland and Labrador general election
← outgoing members members →
48 seats of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly ; 25 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout	72.5% ( 2.9 pp)
	Popular vote by riding. As this is an FPTP election, seat totals are not determined by popular vote, but instead via results by each riding. Click the map for more details.
Premier before election; Roger Grimes ; Liberal	Premier after election; Danny Williams ; Progressive Conservative

Last updated October 18, 2025

The 2003 Newfoundland and Labrador general election was held on October 21, 2003, to elect the 48 members of the 45th General Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador. The election was called on September 29 by Premier Roger Grimes of the Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador.^[2]

Opinion polls

Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level
Polling firm	Last day of survey	Source	PCNL	LPNL	NLNDP	Other	ME	Sample
Polling firm	Last day of survey	Source					ME	Sample
Election 2003	October 21, 2003		58.71	33.05	6.86	1.38
Corporate Research Associates Inc.	October 2003	^[3]	57	33	6	—	4.4	—
Corporate Research Associates Inc.	August 2003	^[4]	54	36	6	—	3.5	801
Election 1999	February 9, 1999		40.77	49.62	8.23	1.38

Results

This election marked only the third change of government in the 54 years since the province joined Canada. The Liberals, led by Roger Grimes, were soundly defeated by the Danny Williams-led Progressive Conservative Party, who took almost three-quarters of the seats in the House of Assembly and well over half of the popular vote.^[5] The Liberals lost seven of their 17 Cabinet ministers, along with the Speaker of the House, from the preceding government. Jack Harris and the New Democrats hopes to increase their seat total from two were frustrated, although their incumbents were re-elected.

Results by party

Summary of the Legislative Assembly of Newfoundland and Labrador election results
Party		Party leader	Candidates	Seats				Popular vote
Party		Party leader	Candidates	1999	Dissol.	2003	Change	#	%	Change
	Progressive Conservative	Danny Williams	48	14	19	34	+78.9%	162,949	58.71%	+17.94%
	Liberal	Roger Grimes	48	32	27	12	-55.6%	91,729	33.05%	-16.57%
	New Democratic	Jack Harris	34	2	2	2	-	19,048	6.86%	-1.37%
	Independent and no affiliation		13	-	-	-	-	3,812	1.38%	-%
Total			143	48	48	48	-	277,538	100.00%

Results by region

Party name			St. John's	Avalon/Burin	Central/Southern	Western	Labrador	Total
Parties winning seats in the legislature:
	Progressive Conservative	Seats:	13	5	8	7	1	34
	Progressive Conservative	Popular vote:	67.73%	57.61%	54.02%	57.48%	30.52%	58.71%
	Liberal	Seats:	-	4	5	1	2	12
	Liberal	Popular vote:	19.43%	38.17%	42.78%	40.16%	29.93%	33.05%
	New Democratic	Seats:	1	-	-	-	1	2
	New Democratic	Popular vote:	12.59%	4.20%	2.62%	1.61%	21.65%	6.86%
Parties not winning seats in the legislature:
	Other	Popular vote:	0.25%	0.02%	0.58%	0.75%	17.90%	1.38%
Total seats:			14	9	13	8	4	48

Results by riding

Names in boldface type represent party leaders.
† represents that the incumbent is not running again.

St. John's

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
Electoral district	Liberal		PC		NDP		Other		Incumbent
Kilbride 70.54% turnout		Joe Wadden 1,071 15.77%		Ed Byrne 5,315 78.28%		David Reynolds 404 5.95%				Ed Byrne
St. John's Centre 70.51% turnout		Joan Marie Aylward 1,763 29.05%		Shawn Skinner 3,349 55.19%		Carol Cantwell 956 15.75%				Joan Marie Aylward
St. John's East 65.68% turnout		George Murphy 862 14.56%		John Ottenheimer 4,151 70.11%		Bruce Clark 841 14.21%		Steve Durant (Independent) 66 1.11%		John Ottenheimer
St. John's North 62.69% turnout		Jeff Brace 1,433 26.74%		Bob Ridgley 3,107 57.97%		Liam Walsh 820 15.30%				Lloyd Matthews†
St. John's South 67.72% turnout		Dennis O'Keefe 756 12.68%		Tom Osborne 4,532 75.99%		Tom McGinnis 676 11.33%				Tom Osborne
St. John's West 66.91% turnout		Tom Hann 1,292 20.48%		Sheila Osborne 4,557 72.23%		Raj Sharan 460 7.29%				Sheila Osborne
Signal Hill—Quidi Vidi 67.55% turnout		Ray O'Neill 391 7.72%		Karen Carroll 2,221 43.82%		Jack Harris 2,456 48.46%				Jack Harris
Virginia Waters 69.14% turnout		Walter Noel 2,358 32.67%		Kathy Dunderdale 4,193 58.10%		Dave Sullivan 666 9.23%				Walter Noel

St. John's suburbs

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
Electoral district	Liberal		PC		NDP		Other		Incumbent
Cape St. Francis 78.42% turnout		Bill Tapper 1,294 16.43%		Jack Byrne 5,604 71.13%		Ralph Tapper 980 12.44%				Jack Byrne
Conception Bay East and Bell Island 77.71% turnout		Jim Walsh 1,870 25.41%		Dianne Whalen 4,147 56.36%		Ken Kavanaugh 1,180 16.04%		Doug Cole (Independent) 171 2.32%		Jim Walsh
Conception Bay South 72.74% turnout		Sheina Lerman 372 5.51%		Terry French 5,606 83.10%		Andy Lewis 768 11.38%				Terry French
Mount Pearl 68.79% turnout		Wayne Ralph 798 11.46%		Dave Denine 5,662 81.30%		Roy Locke 504 7.24%				Julie Bettney†
Topsail 80.53% turnout		Ralph Wiseman 2,354 28.78%		Elizabeth Marshall 5,354 65.45%		Michael Kehoe 472 5.77%				Ralph Wiseman
Waterford Valley 66.81% turnout		Averill Baker 1,277 20.41%		Harvey Hodder 4,569 73.03%		Justin Locke 410 6.55%				Harvey Hodder

Avalon and Burin peninsulas

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
Electoral district	Liberal		PC		NDP		Other		Incumbent
Bellevue 74.54% turnout		Percy Barrett 2,623 48.17%		Joan Cleary 2,523 46.34%		Michael Fahey 299 5.49%				Percy Barrett
Burin—Placentia West 82.20% turnout		Sam Synard 2,133 34.04%		Clyde Jackman 3,450 55.05%		Wayne Butler 684 10.91%				Mary Hodder†
Carbonear—Harbour Grace 77.95% turnout		George Sweeney 3,699 53.84%		John Babb 3,165 46.11%						George Sweeney
Ferryland 71.73% turnout		Andrea Kavanagh 504 8.41%		Loyola Sullivan 5,167 85.25%		Lois Martin 309 5.16%		Pilar Riego-Hickey (Independent) 11 0.18%		Loyola Sullivan
Grand Bank 85.51% turnout		Judy Foote 3,101 49.26%		Darin King 3,058 48.58%		Bill Wakeley 136 2.16%				Judy Foote
Harbour Main—Whitbourne 83.69% turnout		Fred Akerman 1,482 21.98%		Tom Hedderson 4,769 70.71%		Eugene Conway 493 7.31%				Tom Hedderson
Placentia and St. Mary's 84.87% turnout		Kevin Power 1,812 31.73%		Fabian Manning 3,746 65.60%		Janet Stringer 152 2.66%				Fabian Manning
Port de Grave 74.97% turnout		Roland Butler 3,983 62.66%		Clarence Gosse 2,374 37.34%						Roland Butler
Trinity—Bay de Verde 81.40% turnout		Lloyd Snow 2,095 32.37%		Charlene Johnson 4,091 63.20%		Victoria Harnum 287 4.43%				Lloyd Snow

Central Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
Electoral district	Liberal		PC		NDP		Other		Incumbent
Baie Verte 71.03% turnout		Maurice Budgell 927 22.69%		Paul Shelley 3,045 74.52%				William Day (Independent) 114 2.79%		Paul Shelley
Bonavista North 74.42% turnout		Churence Rogers 2,301 39.67%		Harry Harding 3,384 58.33%		Howard E. Parsons 116 2.00%				Harry Harding
Bonavista South 66.82% turnout		Betty Fitzgerald 938 17.14%		Roger Fitzgerald 4,354 79.58%		Sam Kelly 179 3.27%				Roger Fitzgerald
Exploits 75.26% turnout		Roger Grimes 3,218 56.14%		Clayton Forsey 2,346 40.93%		John L. Whelan 168 2.93%				Roger Grimes
Gander 65.94% turnout		Dianne Crewe 1,930 32.72%		Kevin O'Brien 3,621 61.38%		Steve Johnson 348 5.90%				Sandra Kelly†
Grand Falls—Buchans 70.63% turnout		Anna Thistle 3,921 59.21%		Paula Flood 2,331 35.20%		Gerry Tobin 370 5.59%				Anna Thistle
Lewisporte 65.49% turnout		Todd Manuel 1,275 25.82%		Tom Rideout 3,504 70.96%				Garry Vatcher (Independent) 159 3.22%		Tom Rideout
Terra Nova 79.03% turnout		Tom Lush 2,614 43.96%		Paul Oram 3,114 52.37%		Herbert Ralph 218 3.67%				Tom Lush
Trinity North 76.88% turnout		Kathryn Small 1,640 26.86%		Ross Wiseman 4,126 67.57%		Howard W. Duffett 340 5.57%				Ross Wiseman
Twillingate and Fogo 72.73% turnout		Gerry Reid 2,941 55.75%		Derrick Dalley 2,334 44.25%						Gerry Reid
Windsor—Springdale 65.82% turnout		Barry Oake 1,826 32.62%		Ray Hunter 3,488 62.32%		Clar Jacobs 138 2.47%		Elmer Anthony (Independent) 145 2.59%		Ray Hunter

Western and Southern Newfoundland

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
Electoral district	Liberal		PC		NDP		Other		Incumbent
Bay of Islands 76.61% turnout		Eddie Joyce 2,907 49.43%		Mike Monaghan 2,760 46.93%		Dave Quigley 214 3.64%				Eddie Joyce
Burgeo and La Poile 69.79% turnout		Kelvin Parsons 4,233 80.77%		Stephen MacKenzie 1,008 19.23%						Kelvin Parsons
Fortune Bay—Cape La Hune 72.55% turnout		Oliver Langdon 2,880 58.49%		Andrew Colford 2,044 41.52%						Oliver Langdon
Humber East 71.90% turnout		Bob Mercer 2,624 39.75%		Tom Marshall 3,976 60.25%						Bob Mercer
Humber Valley 78.02% turnout		Dwight Ball 2,507 47.28%		Kathy Goudie 2,796 52.72%						Rick Woodford†
Humber West 61.52% turnout		Edward Buckle 1,533 27.56%		Danny Williams 3,823 68.72%		Matthew Robbins 207 3.72%				Danny Williams
Port au Port 67.91% turnout		Gerald Smith 2,378 42.75%		Jim Hodder 3,101 55.74%				Frederick G. Ollerhead (Independent) 84 1.51%		Gerald Smith
St. Barbe 73.59% turnout		Ralph Payne 1,577 32.67%		Wallace Young 2,948 61.07%		Holly Patey 293 6.07%				Wallace Young
St. George's—Stephenville East 70.23% turnout		Ron Dawe 2,464 44.31%		Joan Burke 2,927 52.63%				Nancy Critchley (Independent) 170 3.06%		Kevin Aylward†
The Straits - White Bay North 70.46% turnout		Don McDonald 1,802 35.95%		Trevor Taylor 3,133 62.50%				Ford Michelmore (Independent) 78 1.56%		Trevor Taylor

Labrador

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
Electoral district	Liberal		PC		NDP		Labrador		Incumbent
Cartwright—L'Anse au Clair 80.47% turnout		Yvonne Jones 1,514 59.98%		Dennis Normore 804 31.85%				Frank Pye 206 8.16%		Yvonne Jones
Labrador West 67.34% turnout		Doris Sacrey 423 8.53%		Graham Letto 1,142 23.03%		Randy Collins 2,762 55.71%		Ern Condon 631 12.73%		Randy Collins
Lake Melville 72.56% turnout		Ken Anthony 1,126 24.92%		John Hickey 1,778 39.35%		Barbara Stickley 129 2.86%		Brandon Pardy 1,485 32.87%		Ernie McLean†
Torngat Mountains 80.80% turnout		Wally Andersen 934 68.93%		Winston White 352 25.98%				Lucy Jararuse 69 5.09%		Wally Andersen

By-elections since the general election

Exploits (resignation of Roger Grimes), June 23, 2005:

By-election: Exploits
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	PC	Clayton Forsey	2,605	55.2
	Liberal	George Saunders	1,958	41.5
	NDP	John Whelan	159	3.4
Total			4,722	100%

Placentia and St. Mary's (resignation of Fabian Manning), February 21, 2006:

By-election: Placentia and St. Mary's
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	PC	Felix Collins	2,247	46.3
	Independent	Nick Careen	1,641	33.8
	Liberal	Kevin Power	931	19.2
	Newfoundland and Labrador First	Tom Hickey	31	0.6
Total			4,850

Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi (resignation of Jack Harris), November 1, 2006:

By-election: Signal Hill—Quidi Vidi
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Lorraine Michael	1,968	55.23	+6.77
	PC	Jerome Kennedy	1,595	44.77	+0.95
Total			3,563	100%

Ferryland (resignation of Loyola Sullivan), February 8, 2007:

By-election: Ferryland
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PC	Keith Hutchings	2,770	75.52	-10.73
	Liberal	Kevin Bennett	715	19.49	+11.08
	NDP	Rick Boland	183	4.99	-0.17
Total			3,668	100%

Kilbride (resignation of Ed Byrne), February 8, 2007:

By-election: Kilbride
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PC	John Dinn	2,744	78.83	+0.55
	Liberal	Bob Clarke	508	14.59	-1.18
	NDP	Gemma Schlamp-Hickey	229	6.58	+0.63
Total			3,481	100%

Port au Port (resignation of Jim Hodder), February 8, 2007:

By-election: Port au Port
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	PC	Tony Cornect	2,701	61.99	+6.25
	Liberal	Mark Felix	1,521	34.91	-7.84
	NDP	Paul O'Keefe	135	3.90	*
Total			4,357	100%

Humber Valley (resignation of Kathy Goudie), February 13, 2007:

By-election: Humber Valley
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dwight Ball	2,153	48.70	+1.26
	PC	Darryl Kelly	2,146	48.54	-4.02
	NDP	Shelley Senior	122	2.76	*
Total			4,421	100%

v t e Newfoundland and Labrador provincial by-election, February 13, 2007: Labrador West
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Jim Baker	1,666	41.62	+18.59
	New Democratic	Darrell Brenton	1,240	30.98	−24.73
	Labrador	Ron Barron	670	16.74	+4.01
	Liberal	Karen Oldford	427	10.66	–
Total			4,451	100%	+2.13
Called upon the resignation of Randy Collins.

References

↑ "2003 General Election Report" (PDF). Elections NL . Retrieved March 13, 2025.
↑ "Election three years in the making". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved January 12, 2011.
↑ "Polls put Nfld. Tories in lead". The Sudbury Star. October 15, 2003. p. A7.
↑ Cox, Kevin (September 8, 2003). "With election call on horizon, polls have Grits losing in Nfld". The Globe and Mail. p. A7.
↑ "Tories sweep to power in Newfoundland and Labrador". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. October 22, 2003. Retrieved March 13, 2014.

External links

General resources

Parties

Progressive Conservative Party of Newfoundland and Labrador Archived 2011-05-15 at the Wayback Machine (see also Conservative Party of Canada)
Liberal Party of Newfoundland and Labrador (see also Liberal Party of Canada)
Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party (see also New Democratic Party)
Labrador Party

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[1] "2003 General Election Report" (PDF). Elections NL . Retrieved March 13, 2025.

[three_years-2] "Election three years in the making". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved January 12, 2011.

[3] "Polls put Nfld. Tories in lead". The Sudbury Star. October 15, 2003. p. A7.

[4] Cox, Kevin (September 8, 2003). "With election call on horizon, polls have Grits losing in Nfld". The Globe and Mail. p. A7.

[Tories_sweep-5] "Tories sweep to power in Newfoundland and Labrador". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. October 22, 2003. Retrieved March 13, 2014.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

v t e Elections and referendums in Newfoundland and Labrador
General elections	1832 1836 1837 1842 1848 1852 1855 1859 1861 1865 1869 1873 1874 1878 1882 1885 1889 1893 1897 1900 1904 1908 1909 1913 1919 1923 1924 1928 1932 1949 1951 1956 1959 1962 1966 1971 1972 1975 1979 1982 1985 1989 1993 1996 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2021 2025
Local elections	2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2025
Referendums	1915 1948
Federal elections	1949 1953 1957 1958 1962 1963 1965 1968 1972 1974 1979 1980 1984 1988 1993 1997 2000 2004 2006 2008 2011 2015 2019 2021 2025
See also: List of Newfoundland and Labrador by-elections

v t e Newfoundland and Labrador provincial electoral districts
St. John's	Mount Scio St. John's Centre St. John's East-Quidi Vidi St. John's West Virginia Waters-Pleasantville Waterford Valley Windsor Lake
St. John's suburbs	Cape St. Francis Conception Bay East–Bell Island Conception Bay South Mount Pearl North Mount Pearl-Southlands Topsail-Paradise
Avalon Peninsula	Carbonear-Trinity-Bay de Verde Ferryland Harbour Grace-Port de Grave Harbour Main Placentia-St. Mary's
Eastern Newfoundland	Bonavista Burin-Grand Bank Placentia West-Bellevue Terra Nova
Central Newfoundland	Baie Verte-Green Bay Exploits Fogo Island-Cape Freels Fortune Bay-Cape La Hune Gander Grand Falls-Windsor-Buchans Lewisporte-Twillingate
Western Newfoundland	Burgeo-La Poile Corner Brook Humber-Bay of Islands Humber-Gros Morne St. Barbe-L'Anse aux Meadows St. George's-Humber Stephenville-Port au Port
Labrador	Cartwright-L'Anse au Clair Labrador West Lake Melville Torngat Mountains
See also 2021 general election List of elections Politics