Sask Election Results 2024: Tighter Race Than Expected
Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party has won the Saskatchewan election 2024, securing a fifth mandate. However, elections results show a much slimmer majority than in previous victories. The Saskatchewan Party managed to claim 35 seats, just over the 31-seat majority threshold, down from the 48 it held after the 2020 provincial election Saskatchewan.
Carla Beck’s New Democratic Party (NDP) made impressive gains, increasing their seat count to 26 from 13 in the previous election.
Sk Election Results 2024: Significant NDP Gains
The Sask election 2024 results reveal an unexpected surge for the NDP, especially in urban areas. In Saskatoon, the NDP won or led in 12 of 14 constituencies and retained all 12 seats in Regina. This result reflects growing discontent with the Saskatchewan Party’s policies in major cities.
The tight race between the two leading parties made this election one of the closest since the Party’s formation in 2007.
Scott Moe Pledges to Restore Trust After Reduced Win
In his victory speech from his home riding of Shellbrook, Scott Moe acknowledged the challenges his party faced in this election. He repeatedly stressed the need to regain voter trust after the Saskatchewan election results 2024 indicated reduced support for his party.
“This was a closer election than we’ve seen in recent years,” Moe said. “We must do better, and we will.” He added that Saskatchewan’s “best days are still ahead.”
The Party celebrated the win at a private event at a local ice rink in Shellbrook. Media access to the event was restricted.
Carla Beck Celebrates NDP’s Rise in Saskatchewan Election 2024
NDP leader Carla Beck expressed mixed emotions over the results, acknowledging disappointment at not achieving victory but praising her party’s significant progress. “We changed the political landscape,” Beck said, addressing supporters in Regina. “We have awakened hope in this province, and we will build on it.”
Beck’s campaign focused on affordability, education, and crime reduction, resonating with voters in urban areas, though it fell short in rural regions.
Polls Predicted an Upset, But Sask Party Holds Majority
Polls leading up to the provincial election 2024 suggested the possibility of an upset. Data from Mainstreet Research and Liaison Strategies showed the NDP with slight leads, polling between 49-50% support, compared to the Party’s 45-46%.
Despite this momentum, the Party’s dominance in rural areas secured its slim victory.
Sk Election 2024: Rural Votes Key to Sask Party Win
Rural Saskatchewan played a crucial role in ensuring the Saskatchewan Party’s majority. Over half of Saskatchewan’s 61 constituencies represent rural voters, where the Party maintained strong support.
Controversial Policies and Voter Turnout
During the campaign, Moe focused on gender policies and parental rights. He pledged to ban “biological” boys from using changing rooms for girls and enforced parental consent laws for students under 16 who wish to use gender-affirming pronouns at school.
Moe invoked the notwithstanding clause of the Charter to push through these policies despite backlash from human-rights groups and the resignation of Saskatchewan’s human-rights commissioner. Carla Beck’s NDP opposed these policies, arguing they harmed vulnerable youth.
Election Saskatchewan 2024: Turnout and Early Voting
About 273,010 people participated in early voting, representing roughly one-third of Saskatchewan’s 810,816 registered voters. Preliminary counts show total voter turnout at around 53%, in line with previous provincial elections.
What’s Next for Saskatchewan?
With the Sask election 2024 polls behind them, both parties are preparing for the legislative session. Scott Moe promised to prioritise parental rights and economic growth, while Beck pledged to push for policies on affordability and smaller classroom sizes.
Keen political observers believe this election sets the stage for more competitive Sask elections in the future. The Party will need to rebuild trust after a reduced majority, while the NDP looks to build on its urban momentum.