2023 Northwest Territories general election

November 14, 2023
All seats in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories
Premier before election Caroline Cochrane Premier after election R. J. Simpson

The 2023 Northwest Territories general election was held on November 14, 2023.^[1] Nineteen members were elected to the 20th Northwest Territories Legislative Assembly.^[2] The Assembly is run on a consensus government system, in which all MLAs sit as independents and are not organized into political parties.

Due to the Northwest Territories wildfire evacuations in August, territorial chief election officer, Stephen Dunbar, proposed delaying the election one month to November, due to the possibility that some residents of the territory may still be displaced from their homes during the currently scheduled campaign period.^[3] Some cabinet ministers expressed support for his proposal, with the Assembly meeting on August 28 to debate rescheduling the election.^[3] The election was officially delayed from the original October 3 date to November 14, six weeks later.^[4]

On September 28, incumbent Premier Caroline Cochrane announced she would not seek re-election.^[5]

Results

The Legislative Assembly is run on a consensus government system, in which all MLAs sit as independents and are not organized into political parties. Note, accordingly, that colours in the following charts are used solely to indicate candidate status, not political party affiliations.

Analysis

In the election, 12 out of the 19 seats in the legislature elected new MLAs. In addition, the number of women elected to the legislature decreased, from nine in 2019 to eight.^[6][7][8]

Given that the territory operates on a consensus government system, MLAs elected on November 14 chose the new premier in the first session of the 20th Assembly on December 7,^[9] with Hay River North MLA R. J. Simpson being elected premier.^[10] Candidates included Simpson, Kieron Testart, Shane Thompson, and Caroline Wawzonek. Thompson was elected speaker the same day.^[11]

The other members elected by MLAs to cabinet were, for the north, Lucy Kuptana and Lesa Semmler; for Yellowknife, Caitlin Cleveland and Caroline Wawzonek; and for the south, Vince McKay and Jay MacDonald.

References