As Monday turned into Tuesday, NDP Leader Ryan Meili was trailing in his riding in Monday’s provincial election.
Meili will have to hope mail-in ballots or possibly a recount will help him retain his seat in Saskatoon Meewasin.
The NDP leader, who won the seat in a 2017 byelection following the death of the Sask. Party’s Roger Parent in November 2016, trailed the Sask. Party’s Rylund Hunter by 83 votes after Monday’s count.
There are still 1,656 mail-in ballots in that riding that will be counted over the next two weeks.
Elsewhere in Saskatoon, there are some fresh faces but party colours remained relatively unchanged as results came in from the election.
The NDP will continue to represent Saskatoon Centre, although with a different person in the seat. Betty Nippi-Albright secured the riding after incumbent David Forbes chose not to seek re-election.
Albright defeated the Saskatchewan Party’s Kim Groff and the Green Party’s Raven Reid in Monday’s balloting.
The Sask. Party’s Lisa Lambert will continue to serve as MLA for Saskatoon Churchill Wildwood.
She beat former NDP president David McGrane, Progressive Conservative Party candidate John Lowe and the Greens’ Gillian Walker.
A riding considered one to watch is Saskatoon Eastview. The seat was left vacant when Corey Tochor left to run for the Conservatives in the 2019 federal election, in which he secured the Saskatoon-University riding.
Chris Guerette, the CEO of the Saskatoon and Region Home Builder’s Association, ran for the Sask. Party. Matt Love is representing the NDP. Jan Norris is running for the Green Party.
It was a tight race as ballot boxes were finished with Love showing a slight lead. Elections Saskatchewan issued 1,555 mail-in ballots in the riding which have yet to be counted.
Vicki Mowat won her seat in Saskatoon Fairview for the first time in a general election.
The NDP incumbent was first elected in a 2017 by-election. She beat the Progressive Conservative Party’s Tony Ollenberger, Tobi-Dawne Smith of the Green Party and Manny Sadhra for the Sask. Party.
Sask. Party’s Gord Wyant will stay the MLA in Saskatoon Northwest.
He won the seat in a 2010 by-election and won by a healthy margin in 2016. Prior to Monday’s vote he was deputy premier, minister of education, and minister responsible for SaskBuilds and Priority Saskatchewan.
He defeated the NDP’s Gillian Strange and Green Party candidate Maria Krzna.
Erika Ritchie will represent the Saskatoon Nutana riding for the Saskatchewan NDP. She replaces fellow NDPer Cathy Sproule, who decided not to run for another term. Ritchie ran in the 2019 federal election, also for the NDP.
Ritchie campaigned against the Green Party’s Albert Chubak and Kyle Mazer from the Sask. Party.
Saskatoon Riversdale is getting a new MLA too. Incumbent Danielle Chartier didn’t seek re-election, so Ashlee Hicks ran for the NDP this time. Marv Friesen represented the Sask. Party with Delanie Passer running for the Green Party.
That race proved too close to call Monday night too. Hicks had a slight lead as counting continued. There are still 920 mail-in ballots to consider.
Paul Merriman continues to represent Saskatoon Silverspring-Sutherland. The Sask. Party MLA was first elected in 2011. He beat Tajinder Grewal from the NDP and Jaime Fairley for the Green Party.
Sask. Party veteran Don Morgan is back representing Saskatoon Southeast. He won a fifth term over challengers Pamela Beaudin of the NDP and the Green’s Cheryl Mazil.
Bronwyn Eyre has secured her Saskatoon Stonebridge-Dakota seat for a second term. Eyre became the riding’s MLA in 2016 and served as the minister of education and advanced education while Brad Wall was premier.
She was minister of energy and resources before dissolution for the election. Eyre defeated Brett Greg for the Buffalo Party, Judicael Moukoumi for the NDP and the Green’s Lydia Martens.
The Saskatoon University riding was a three-horse race. Former Saskatoon city councillor Eric Olauson was seeking re-election for the Sask. Party. Jennifer Bowes represented the NDP, with Erickka Patmore running for the Green Party.
Bowes had a slight lead over the incumbent late Monday with nearly 1,300 mail-in ballots issued in the constituency.
The Sask. Party’s David Buckingham won Saskatoon Westview for a second time. He first earned the seat in a close 2016 election to dethrone former NDP Leader Cam Broten.
Buckingham beat the NDP’s Malik Draz, Glenn Wright for the Green Party and Liberal Party Leader Robert Rudachyk.
Another Sask. Party veteran will hold onto his seat — Ken Cheveldayoff. He has represented Saskatoon Silverspring-Sutherland since 2003. He beat the NDP’s Kaitlyn Harvey and David Greenfield, who represented the Green Party.