1974 Nova Scotia general election

Template:Short description The 1974 Nova Scotia general election was held on 2 April 1974 to elect members of the 51st House of Assembly of the Province of Nova Scotia, Canada. It was won by the Liberal Party.

Most of its MLAs were elected in single-member district using first past the post voting but some, such as in Colchester and Yarmouth, were elected in two-seat districts using plurality block voting.

Results

Results by party

↓

31	12	3
Liberal	Progressive Conservative	New Democratic

Official results

Party		Party leader	# of candidates	Seats				Popular vote
				1970	Dissolution	Elected	Change	#	%	Change (pp)	Liberal	Gerald Regan	46	23	24	31	+8	206,648	47.57%	+1.94%	Progressive Conservative	John Buchanan	46	21	19	12	-9	166,388	38.31%	-8.12%	New Democratic	Jeremy Akerman	46	2	2	3	+1	55,902	12.87%	+6.28%	Independent		6	0	1	0	0	2,220	0.51%	+0.13%
	Vacant				0
Total valid votes								431,158	99.26%	+0.23%
Blank and invalid ballots								3,205	0.74%	-0.23%
Total			144	46	46	46	–	434,363	100.00%	–
Registered voters / turnout								507,190	77.89%	+0.57%

Popular vote Liberal   47.57% PC   38.31% New Democratic   12.87% Independent   0.51%

Seats summary Liberal   67.39% PC   26.09% New Democratic   6.52%

Results by region

Party name			HRM	Cape Breton	Annapolis Valley	South Shore	Fundy-Northeast	Central Nova	Total
Parties winning seats in the legislature										Liberal	Seats:	8	6	6	4	4	3	31	Popular vote:	48.73%	42.68%	51.25%	51.37%	48.19%	48.05%	47.57%	Progressive Conservative	Seats:	2	1	2	3	2	2	12	Popular vote:	38.34%	32.67%	42.11%	39.63%	42.33%	41.57%	38.31%	New Democratic Party	Seats:	0	3	0	0	0	0	3	Popular vote:	12.93%	24.21%	6.64%	6.48%	9.06%	10.37%	12.87%
Parties not winning seats in the legislature											Popular vote:	–	0.45%	–	2.52%	0.42%	–	0.51%
Total seats:			10	10	8	7	6	5	46

Retiring incumbents

Liberal

• James L. Connolly, Halifax Chebucto
• Ralph F. Fiske, Pictou Centre
• A. Lloyd MacDonald, Pictou East
• George Riley, Halifax Cobequid

Progressive Conservative

• Gerald Doucet, Richmond
• Floyd MacDonald, Queens
• George Isaac Smith, Colchester
• Victor Thorpe, Kings North
• Maurice L. Zinck, Lunenburg East

Nominated candidates

Legend
bold denotes party leader
† denotes an incumbent who is not running for re-election or was defeated in nomination contest

Valley

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour
Annapolis East		Hank De Boer 2,583 43.48%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Gerry Sheehy 3,134 52.76%		Murray A. Bent 223 3.75%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Gerry Sheehy
Annapolis West	Template:Canadian party colour|	Peter M. Nicholson 2,636 53.00%		J.R. Kerr 2,150 43.22%		David N. Lowe 188 3.78%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Peter M. Nicholson
Clare	Template:Canadian party colour|	Benoit Comeau 2,959 61.07%		Vincent L. Doucet 1,218 25.14%		Jean L. Belliveau 668 13.79%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Benoit Comeau
Digby	Template:Canadian party colour|	Joseph H. Casey 3,525 65.90%		John R. Nichols 1,590 29.73%		C.B. Haight 234 4.37%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Joseph H. Casey
Hants West	Template:Canadian party colour|	Robert D. Lindsay 4,148 48.07%		Ron Russell 3,707 42.96%		Gary E. Tonks 774 8.97%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Robert D. Lindsay
Kings North	Template:Canadian party colour|	Glenn Ells 3,536 49.39%		David J. Waterbury 3,124 43.63%		George W. Graves 500 6.98%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Victor Thorpe†
Kings South		Edgar K. Aston 1,999 33.11%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Harry How 3,576 59.22%		John P. O'Meara 463 7.67%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Harry How
Kings West	Template:Canadian party colour|	Frank Bezanson 5,031 58.34%		Kathleen E. Howlett 3,206 37.23%		Donald Wolsey 374 4.34%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Frank Bezanson

South Shore

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour
Lunenburg Centre		James Kinley 3,878 39.08%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Bruce Cochran 4,086 41.18%		Ralph E. Deamond 421 4.24%		Walton Cook 1,538 15.50%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Walton Cook
Lunenburg East		Joseph Saunders 1,963 41.06%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Ron Barkhouse 2,536 53.04%		Anthony W.E. Zinck 282 5.90%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Maurice L. Zinck†
Lunenburg West	Template:Canadian party colour|	Maurice DeLory 3,635 54.92%		Ella Spence 2,643 39.93%		William R. Griswold 341 5.15%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Maurice DeLory
Queens		R. Keith Wyer 2,649 40.58%	Template:Canadian party colour|	John Wickwire 2,905 44.50%		A.J. d'Entremont 974 14.92%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Floyd MacDonald†
Shelburne	Template:Canadian party colour|	Harold Huskilson 4,119 47.58%		Ron Hatfield 3,732 43.11%		Dewey Waybret 806 9.31%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Harold Huskilson
Yarmouth	Template:Canadian party colour|	Fraser Mooney 8,098 32.87%		Martin Cottreau 4,029 16.35%		Lawrence Dukeshire 637 2.59%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Fraser Mooney
	Template:Canadian party colour|	Hugh Tinkham 7,068 28.69%		George A. Snow 4,300 17.45%		Leslie Babin 504 2.05%			Template:Canadian party colour|	George A. Snow

Fundy-Northeast

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour
Colchester	Template:Canadian party colour|	Melinda MacLean 9,514 25.87%		Gerald Ritcey 7,182 19.53%		Eda Forsythe 1,515 4.12%		Bob Kirk 159 0.43%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Gerald Ritcey
	Template:Canadian party colour|	Floyd Tucker 8,662 23.55%		Ron Giffin 7,974 21.68%		Allan Marchbank 1,771 4.82%			Template:Canadian party colour|	George Isaac Smith†
Cumberland Centre	Template:Canadian party colour|	Guy Brown 2,283 52.16%		Raymond M. Smith 1,601 36.58%		Elory Tabor 493 11.26%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Raymond M. Smith
Cumberland East		Ronald S. MacNeil 3,490 40.82%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Roger Stuart Bacon 4,125 48.25%		David W. D'Aubin 934 10.93%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Roger Stuart Bacon
Cumberland West		W.J. Brown 2,205 45.86%	Template:Canadian party colour|	D. L. George Henley 2,323 48.32%		A. Bradley Colpitts 280 5.82%			Template:Canadian party colour|	D. L. George Henley
Hants East	Template:Canadian party colour|	Jack Hawkins 3,322 49.88%		Avard Ettinger 2,690 40.39%		Clair White 549 8.24%		John G. Stanhope Sr. 99 1.49%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Jack Hawkins

Halifax/Dartmouth/Eastern Shore

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour
Halifax Atlantic		Darrell E. Wentzell 4,380 35.90%	Template:Canadian party colour|	John Buchanan 6,229 51.06%		Colin Campbell 1,591 13.04%			Template:Canadian party colour|	John Buchanan
Halifax Chebucto	Template:Canadian party colour|	Walter Fitzgerald 5,608 53.47%		Dennis Ashworth 3,233 30.82%		Burris Devanney 1,648 15.71%			Template:Canadian party colour|	James L. Connolly†
Halifax Citadel	Template:Canadian party colour|	Ronald Wallace 4,299 48.73%		Richard MacLean 3,071 34.81%		Michael Bradfield 1,452 16.46%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Ronald Wallace
Halifax Cobequid	Template:Canadian party colour|	George Doucet 8,691 49.57%		Silvia Hudson 6,878 39.23%		George C. Cann 1,964 11.20%			Template:Canadian party colour|	George Riley†
Halifax Cornwallis	Template:Canadian party colour|	George M. Mitchell 5,391 47.52%		George T.H. Cooper 3,833 33.79%		Muriel Duckworth 2,121 18.70%			Template:Canadian party colour|	George M. Mitchell
Halifax Eastern Shore	Template:Canadian party colour|	Alexander Garnet Brown 6,437 52.90%		Hanson D. Josey 4,205 34.56%		John T. Kennedy 1,527 12.55%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Alexander Garnet Brown
Halifax Needham	Template:Canadian party colour|	Gerald Regan 4,364 61.49%		James H. Vaughan 1,854 26.12%		Martin Dolin 879 12.39%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Gerald Regan
Halifax-St. Margaret's	Template:Canadian party colour|	Leonard L. Pace 7,238 47.87%		George C. Piercey 6,084 40.24%		Richard Rogers 1,798 11.89%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Leonard L. Pace
Dartmouth North	Template:Canadian party colour|	Glen M. Bagnell 7,091 51.41%		Richard L. Weldon 4,839 35.08%		Joseph Bouchard 1,863 13.51%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Glen M. Bagnell
Dartmouth South		D. Scott MacNutt 5,871 44.24%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Roland J. Thornhill 6,491 48.91%		Norman H. Dares 908 6.84%			Template:Canadian party colour|	D. Scott MacNutt

Central Nova

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour
Antigonish	Template:Canadian party colour|	Bill Gillis 5,141 56.88%		Ronald A. MacDonald 3,172 35.09%		Patrick D. Gough 726 8.03%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Bill Gillis
Guysborough	Template:Canadian party colour|	A.M. "Sandy" Cameron 3,688 55.66%		Fenwick MacIntosh 2,652 40.02%		William Sugg 286 4.32%			Template:Canadian party colour|	A.M. "Sandy" Cameron
Pictou Centre		Lawrence MacKinnon 4,954 42.54%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Fraser MacLean 5,100 43.80%		Dave MacKenzie 1,591 13.66%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Ralph F. Fiske†
Pictou East		J. Lester MacLellan 2,945 42.09%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Donald Cameron 3,217 45.98%		Joanne E. Kohout 835 11.93%			Template:Canadian party colour|	A. Lloyd MacDonald†
Pictou West	Template:Canadian party colour|	Dan Reid 2,624 43.99%		Harvey Veniot 2,602 43.62%		Charles Parker 739 12.39%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Harvey Veniot

Cape Breton

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour	colspan="2" style="width:1%; border-right:none;" Template:Canadian party colour
Cape Breton Centre		Albert J. Boudreau 1,703 21.76%		Mike Laffin 2,743 35.05%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Buddy MacEachern 3,380 43.19%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Mike Laffin
Cape Breton East		Vincent Kachafanas 3,443 30.83%		Frederick Adshade 1,611 14.43%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Jeremy Akerman 5,929 53.10%		Archie MacDonald 183 1.64%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Jeremy Akerman
Cape Breton North		Barry LeBlanc 4,155 33.57%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Tom MacKeough 4,889 39.50%		Len J. Arsenault 3,333 26.93%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Tom MacKeough
Cape Breton Nova		Ronald DiPenta 1,275 17.19%		Percy Gaum 2,334 31.46%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Paul MacEwan 3,809 51.35%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Paul MacEwan
Cape Breton South	Template:Canadian party colour|	Vince MacLean 6,487 50.87%		John Francis Burke 3,721 29.18%		Earl Johnston 2,441 19.14%		Angus Currie 102 0.80%	Template:Canadian party colour|	John Francis Burke
Cape Breton West	Template:Canadian party colour|	Allan Sullivan 6,281 53.46%		Kenneth Andrews 3,199 27.23%		Frank Boone 2,269 19.31%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Allan Sullivan
Inverness	Template:Canadian party colour|	William MacEachern 5,606 26.50%		Norman J. MacLean 4,832 22.84%		Donald MacKay 621 2.94%		Catherine M. Haig 139 0.66%	Template:Canadian party colour|	Norman J. MacLean
	Template:Canadian party colour|	John Archie MacKenzie 5,403 25.54%		Joseph Shannon 4,088 19.32%		Winston Bennett 466 2.20%			Template:Canadian party colour|	John Archie MacKenzie
Richmond	Template:Canadian party colour|	Gaston LeBlanc 3,697 57.62%		Joseph Stewart 2,138 33.32%		Stanley Pashkoski 581 9.06%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Gerald Doucet†
Victoria	Template:Canadian party colour|	Maynard MacAskill 2,573 59.44%		Fisher Hudson 1,542 35.62%		Colin A. Gillis 214 4.94%			Template:Canadian party colour|	Fisher Hudson