Liberals pick up key ridings on path to majority government

New Brunswick's Liberals have flipped key ridings across New Brunswick from blue to red, on the way to a majority win. 

Several ridings in the province's cities were seen as key for the Liberals to gain back from Blaine Higgs's Progressive Conservatives, which achieved a majority in 2020. 

But the tide turned Monday night with New Brunswick electing a majority Liberal government and Liberal Leader Susan Holt as the first woman to become premier of the province.

Even the premier, Blaine Higgs, lost his seat in Quispamsis, to Liberal Aaron Kennedy.

"I love you, I love you New Brunswick," Holt said in a victory speech. "With me, you're going to get a leadership that listens, and a leadership that cares. A leadership that will respect you."

Several Higgs-era cabinet ministers, including Ted Flemming of Rothesay, Ernie Steeves of Moncton Northwest, and Fredericton North's Jill Green were unseated by Liberal contenders Alyson Townsend, Tania Sodhi, and Luke Randall, respectively. 

Sodhi was one of few candidates of colour on the ballot in 2024. 

"I had amazing candidates that clearly New Brunswickers responded to and elected," Holt said in an interview with CBC News. 

• Get the full election results here. 

Aldéa Landry, deputy premier to Frank McKenna and a key supporter of Holt in the Liberal leadership race, held back tears speaking with CBC News after the result came in. 

"It's her-storical," Landry said, "The province is 240 years old, and our first woman premier." 

While southern ridings voted decisively for Higgs's PCs in 2020, nearly all Saint John ridings turned red.

Liberal candidate and former city councillor David Hickey and Dr. John Dornan, who won a wrongful dismissal case against the Higgs government, were able to convert Saint John Harbour and Saint John Portland-Simonds.

"It came down to our team," Hickey said in an interview. "It's been resounding tonight, and for that we're incredibly thankful."

Kate Elman Wilcott took Saint John West-Lancaster, while PC-turned-Liberal John Herron won his race against controversial candidate Faytene Grasseschi.

"The tone … was that people were ready for a fresh start on Tuesday morning," Elman Wilcott said of her experience campaigning door-to-door.

Higgs cabinet minister Glen Savoie was the only PC in the region to hold onto his seat in Saint John East, after a nail-biter race with Liberal David Alston. 

The Liberals were also able to make inroads in Fredericton South-Silverwood and Fredericton North, with Holt projected to win her seat in the former and Luke Randall unseating former Higgs' minister Jill Green. 

Hanwell-New Maryland also went red with Cindy Miles coming out ahead in a race against New Maryland mayor Judy Wilson-Shee.

Claire Johnson, Alexandre Cédric Doucet and Lyne Chantal Boudreau were able to take key seats in Moncton South, Moncton East, and the new riding of Champdoré-Irishtown. Incumbent Rob McKee handily kept his seat in Moncton Centre.

The party also made progress in Miramichi, with Sam Johnson unseating PC incumbent Réjean Savoie. 

Liberal candidate and former member of Parliament Pat Finnigan unseated Green MLA Kevin Arseneau.

Voters returned several Liberal MLAs back to the legislature, including Francine Landry, René Legacy, Isabelle Thériault, Jean-Claude D'Amours, Keith Chiasson, Guy Arseneault, Jacques LeBlanc, Éric Mallet, Marco LeBlanc, Robert Gauvin, Gilles LePage, Benoît Bourque, and Chuck Chiasson. 

Local government leaders were in attendance at the Liberal celebration in Fredericton, including Sitansisk Chief Allan Polchies Jr. and Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers. 

New Brunswick Liberal Association executive director Hannah Fulton-Johnson told CBC News the party had been hopeful heading into Monday's decision.

"We've run a very positive campaign focused on what matters to New Brunswickers, which is better health care where and when you need it, affordability," she said. 

"I think that resonates all across the province, not in any particular region."