Yukon’s upcoming territorial election in the fall is anticipated to be intriguing and unpredictable due to the addition of new ridings, redrawn boundaries, a fresh pool of candidates, and an influx of new voters. On November 3, voters will choose the 21 members of the 36th legislative assembly, with over half of the MLAs being newcomers as only 10 incumbent candidates are seeking re-election.
Among the key ridings to monitor in the upcoming election are Whistle Bend South and Whistle Bend North. These new ridings, situated in Whitehorse’s rapidly expanding Whistle Bend neighborhood, were established last year based on recommendations from an Electoral Boundaries Commission to accommodate the city’s growing population. Notably, all candidates running in both Whistle Bend ridings are women, with Yvonne Clarke of the Yukon Party seeking to transition from representing Porter Creek Centre to Whistle Bend North. The other candidates include Tiara Topps of the NDP and Beverly Cooper of the Liberals. Whistle Bend South features Vida Pelayo running for the Liberals and Linda Benoit for the Yukon Party, with the NDP yet to announce a candidate.
Vuntut Gwitchin, Yukon’s northernmost and least-populated electoral district, is historically unpredictable in elections, often seeing close races due to its small number of registered voters. The 2021 election in Vuntut Gwitchin ended in a tie between the incumbent Liberal candidate, Pauline Frost, and the NDP’s Annie Blake, ultimately decided by a drawing of lots. This year, Blake is running for re-election against Liberal Debra-Leigh Reti and Sandra Charlie of the Yukon Party.
Whitehorse West, known as a bellwether riding, has a history of electing a member whose party forms the government. The seat is being contested by Mike Pemberton of the Liberals, Laura Lang of the Yukon Party, and Katherine McCallum of the NDP.
Klondike, another closely watched riding, is open for competition as former premier Sandy Silver is not seeking re-election. The Liberals are yet to confirm a candidate for the seat, which has been represented by all three major parties over the years. The confirmed candidates are Brent McDonald for the NDP and Richard Nagano for the Yukon Party.
Mayo-Tatchun, Yukon’s largest electoral district, has a history of switching between the Liberals and the NDP. Jeremy Harper of the Liberals, Cory Bellmore of the Yukon Party, and Colin Prentice of the NDP are vying for the seat in the upcoming election.