Clare (electoral district)
Provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clare is a provincial electoral district in Nova Scotia, Canada, which existed between 1949-2013 and since 2021. Prior to 1949, Clare was part of Digby district. It elects one member of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly. The electoral district includes most of the Municipality of the District of Clare, an Acadian area occupying the southwestern half of Digby County. For four consecutive elections from 1988 to 1999, the district had the highest voter turnout in the province.[1][2][3][4]
 Nova Scotia electoral district | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Provincial electoral district | |||
| Legislature | Nova Scotia House of Assembly | ||
| MLA |
Progressive Conservative | ||
| District created | 1949, 2019 | ||
| District abolished | 2013 | ||
| Last contested | 2024 | ||
| Demographics | |||
| Population (2021) | 7,687 | ||
| Electors (2024) | 7,206 | ||
| Area (km²) | 830 | ||
| Pop. density (per km²) | 9.3 | ||
| Census division | Digby County | ||
| Census subdivision | Municipality of the District of Clare | ||
The electoral district was abolished following the 2012 electoral boundary review and was largely replaced by the new electoral district of Clare-Digby. It was re-created out of Clare-Digby following the 2019 Electoral Boundary Review after a court challenge that also re-instated the province's two other protected Acadians ridings of Argyle and Richmond, and the Black riding of Preston.[5][6]
Geography
The land area of Clare is 830 km2 (320 sq mi).[7]
Members of the Legislative Assembly
The electoral district was represented by the following members of the Legislative Assembly:
| Clare | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legislature | Years | Member | Party | |
| Riding created from Digby | ||||
| 44th | 1949–1953 | Desire Comeau | Progressive Conservative | |
| 45th | 1953–1956 | Pierre Belliveau | Liberal | |
| 46th | 1956–1960 | |||
| 47th | 1960–1963 | |||
| 48th | 1963–1967 | Hector J. Pothier | Progressive Conservative | |
| 49th | 1967–1970 | Benoit Comeau | Liberal | |
| 50th | 1970–1974 | |||
| 51st | 1974–1978 | |||
| 52nd | 1978–1981 | |||
| 53rd | 1981–1984 | Chester Melanson | ||
| 54th | 1984–1988 | Guy LeBlanc | Progressive Conservative | |
| 55th | 1988–1993 | |||
| 56th | 1993–1998 | Wayne Gaudet | Liberal | |
| 57th | 1998–1999 | |||
| 58th | 1999–2003 | |||
| 59th | 2003–2006 | |||
| 60th | 2006–2009 | |||
| 61st | 2009–2013 | |||
| Riding dissolved into Clare-Digby | ||||
| Riding recreated from Clare-Digby | ||||
| 64th | 2021–2024 | Ronnie LeBlanc | Liberal | |
| 65th | 2024–present | Ryan Robicheau | Progressive Conservative | |
Election results
2024
| 2024 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Ryan Robicheau | 2,805 | 59.71 | +16.29 | ||||
| Liberal | Ronnie LeBlanc | 1,790 | 38.10 | -11.79 | ||||
| New Democratic | Dre Taylor | 103 | 2.19 | -1.10 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 4,698 | 99.22 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 51 | 1.07 | +0.22 | |||||
| Turnout | 4,749 | 65.90 | -1.19 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 7,206 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +14.00 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Nova Scotia[8] | ||||||||
2021
| 2021 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Ronnie LeBlanc | 2,322 | 49.89 | -1.34 | $37,791.91 | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Carl Deveau | 2,021 | 43.43 | +13.12 | $13,595.33 | |||
| Green | Claire McDonald | 158 | 3.39 | – | $200.00 | |||
| New Democratic | Cameron Pye | 153 | 3.29 | -15.17 | $10,832.43 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 4,654 | 99.15 | – | $44,268.32 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 40 | 0.85 | ||||||
| Turnout | 4,694 | 67.19 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 6,986 | |||||||
| Liberal notional hold | Swing | -7.23 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Nova Scotia[9][10] | ||||||||
2017 (transposed)
| 2017 provincial election redistributed results[11] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Vote | % | |
| Liberal | 2,059 | 51.23 | |
| Progressive Conservative | 1,218 | 30.31 | |
| New Democratic | 742 | 18.46 | |
2009
| 2009 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Wayne Gaudet | 3,392 | 64.68% | 16.16% | ||||
| New Democratic | Paul Comeau | 1,326 | 25.29% | 3.32% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Jimmy Doucet | 459 | 8.75% | -19.33% | ||||
| Green | Diane Doucet-Bean | 67 | 1.28% | -0.14% | ||||
| Total | 5,244 | – | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 53 | |||||||
| Turnout | 5,297 | 76.71 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 6,905 | |||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. | ||||||||
2006
| 2006 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Wayne Gaudet | 2,803 | 48.53% | -13.02% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Abraham LeBlanc | 1,622 | 28.08% | 2.82% | ||||
| New Democratic | Paul Comeau | 1,269 | 21.97% | 8.78% | ||||
| Green | Diane Doucet-Bean | 82 | 1.42% | – | ||||
| Total | 5,776 | – | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 50 | |||||||
| Turnout | 5,826 | 82.45 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 7,066 | |||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. | ||||||||
2003
| 2003 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Wayne Gaudet | 3,547 | 61.55% | 17.78% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Marc Boudreau | 1,456 | 25.26% | -12.84% | ||||
| New Democratic | Don Melanson | 760 | 13.19% | -4.25% | ||||
| Total | 5,763 | – | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 70 | |||||||
| Turnout | 5,833 | 89.68 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 6,504 | |||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. | ||||||||
1999
| 1999 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Wayne Gaudet | 2,705 | 43.76% | -3.52% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Paul Comeau | 2,355 | 38.10% | -3.22% | ||||
| New Democratic | Don Melanson | 1,078 | 17.44% | 6.04% | ||||
| Nova Scotia Party | Anne Marie Boyer | 43 | 0.70% | – | ||||
| Total | 6,181 | – | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 66 | |||||||
| Turnout | 6,247 | 87.43 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 7,145 | |||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1999). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirty-Fifth General Election (Report). Elections Nova Scotia. | ||||||||
1998
| 1998 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Wayne Gaudet | 2,950 | 47.28% | -4.71% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Guy LeBlanc | 2,578 | 41.32% | -1.55% | ||||
| New Democratic | Vanessa Paddock | 711 | 11.40% | 6.26% | ||||
| Total | 6,239 | – | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 109 | |||||||
| Turnout | 6,348 | 88.00 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 7,214 | |||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca.1998 Election Returns: Recapitulation (PDF) (Report). Elections Nova Scotia. 1998. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 November 2021. | ||||||||
1993
| 1993 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Wayne Gaudet | 3,461 | 51.99% | 10.23% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Guy LeBlanc | 2,854 | 42.87% | -11.15% | ||||
| New Democratic | Christian Collin | 342 | 5.14% | 0.92% | ||||
| Total | 6,657 | – | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 83 | |||||||
| Turnout | 6,740 | 91.44 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 7,371 | |||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1993). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirty-Third General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2018. | ||||||||
1988
| 1988 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Guy LeBlanc | 3,587 | 54.02% | 3.69% | ||||
| Liberal | Nadine Boudreau | 2,773 | 41.76% | -3.53% | ||||
| New Democratic | Jan Slakov-Crombie | 280 | 4.22% | -0.16% | ||||
| Total | 6,640 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1988). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirty-Second General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 July 2018. | ||||||||
1984
| 1984 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Guy LeBlanc | 3,094 | 50.33% | 12.33% | ||||
| Liberal | Chester Melanson | 2,784 | 45.29% | 6.33% | ||||
| New Democratic | Alain Chabot | 269 | 4.38% | -18.66% | ||||
| Total | 6,147 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1984). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirty-First General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2017. | ||||||||
1981
| 1981 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Chester Melanson | 2,228 | 38.96% | -17.51% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Guy LeBlanc | 2,173 | 38.00% | 1.87% | ||||
| New Democratic | Paul Dennis Comeau | 1,317 | 23.03% | 15.64% | ||||
| Total | 5,718 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1981). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Thirtieth General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 July 2017. | ||||||||
1978
| 1978 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Benoit Comeau | 2,963 | 56.47% | -4.60% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Gerald J. B. Comeau | 1,896 | 36.13% | 11.00% | ||||
| New Democratic | Sylvio Gagnon | 388 | 7.39% | -6.39% | ||||
| Total | 5,247 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1978). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Twenty-Ninth General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2018. | ||||||||
1974
| 1974 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Benoit Comeau | 2,959 | 61.07% | 1.40% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Vincent L. Doucet | 1,218 | 25.14% | -15.19% | ||||
| New Democratic | Jean L. Belliveau | 668 | 13.79% | – | ||||
| Total | 4,845 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Chief Electoral Officer (1974). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, Twenty-Eighth General Election (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 June 2018. | ||||||||
1970
| 1970 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Benoit Comeau | 2,712 | 59.67% | 3.24% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Paul J. Comeau | 1,833 | 40.33% | -3.24% | ||||
| Total | 4,545 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia, Legislative Assembly (1970). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly, 1970 (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2018. | ||||||||
1967
| 1967 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Benoit Comeau | 2,384 | 56.43% | 9.04% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Hector J. Pothier | 1,841 | 43.57% | -9.04% | ||||
| Total | 4,225 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1967). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2018. | ||||||||
1963
| 1963 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Hector J. Pothier | 2,154 | 52.61% | 4.74% | ||||
| Liberal | Joseph C. LeBlanc | 1,940 | 47.39% | -4.74% | ||||
| Total | 4,094 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1963). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2018. | ||||||||
1960
| 1960 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Pierre E. Belliveau | 2,215 | 52.13% | -0.47% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Kenneth Weaver | 2,034 | 47.87% | 0.47% | ||||
| Total | 4,249 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1960). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 July 2018. | ||||||||
1956
| 1956 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Pierre E. Belliveau | 2,046 | 52.60% | -5.87% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | J. Fred Gaudet | 1,844 | 47.40% | 5.87% | ||||
| Total | 3,890 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1956). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2018. | ||||||||
1953
| 1953 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal | Pierre E. Belliveau | 2,307 | 58.46% | 8.92% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Desire J. Comeau | 1,639 | 41.54% | – | ||||
| Total | 3,946 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1953). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2018. | ||||||||
1949
| 1949 Nova Scotia general election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Liberal-Conservative | Desire J. Comeau | 2,116 | 50.45% | – | ||||
| Liberal | Benoit Comeau | 2,078 | 49.55% | – | ||||
| Total | 4,194 | – | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: Nova Scotia Legislature (2024). "Electoral History for Clare" (PDF). nslegislature.ca. Nova Scotia Legislature (1949). Returns of the General Election for the House of Assembly (PDF) (Report). Queen's Printer. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 September 2018. | ||||||||