Jack Harris (Newfoundland and Labrador politician)
Canadian politician
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John James "Jack" Harris KC (born October 27, 1948) is a former Canadian lawyer and politician from Newfoundland and Labrador. Harris served as the New Democratic Party (NDP) Member of Parliament for St. John's East. He represented the riding from 1987 to 1988 and again from 2008 to 2015, when he was defeated. He won the seat again in the 2019 federal election, becoming the only NDP member of the House of Commons from Atlantic Canada. He retired from politics in 2021. Harris is also the former leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party (1992–2006).
Nycole Turmel
Jack Harris | |
|---|---|
Harris in January 2012 | |
| Shadow Minister for National Defence | |
| In office April 19, 2012 – November 19, 2015 | |
| Leader | Thomas Mulcair |
| Preceded by | David Christopherson |
| Succeeded by | James Bezan |
| In office May 26, 2011 – October 13, 2011 | |
| Leader | Jack Layton Nycole Turmel |
| Preceded by | Dominic Leblanc |
| Succeeded by | David Christopherson |
| Leader of the Newfoundland and Labrador New Democratic Party | |
| In office 1992–2006 | |
| Preceded by | Cle Newhook |
| Succeeded by | Lorraine Michael |
| Member of Parliament for St. John's East | |
| In office October 21, 2019 – September 20, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Nick Whalen |
| Succeeded by | Joanne Thompson |
| In office October 14, 2008 – October 19, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Norman Doyle |
| Succeeded by | Nick Whalen |
| In office July 20, 1987 – November 21, 1988 | |
| Preceded by | James McGrath |
| Succeeded by | Ross Reid |
| Member of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi (St. John's East; 1990–1996) | |
| In office December 11, 1990 – September 29, 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Shannie Duff |
| Succeeded by | Lorraine Michael |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John James Harris October 27, 1948 |
| Party | New Democratic |
| Spouse | Ann Martin |
| Profession | Lawyer, journalist |
Politics
Harris first became a member of the House of Commons of Canada after winning a by-election in the riding of St. John's East on July 20, 1987.[1] Harris was the second NDP candidate ever elected to the House of Commons in Newfoundland and Labrador.[2] He was subsequently defeated in the 1988 federal election.[3]
NL NDP Leader
Harris was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly in a 1990 by-election[4] and was unopposed when he was elected to succeed Cle Newhook as leader of the provincial New Democrats at a party convention held November 1992.[5] He was re-elected to the Legislature in the 1993, 1996, 1999, and 2003 elections.[6]
In 1997, Harris ran for Mayor of St. John's losing narrowly to Andy Wells. He was supported by Danny Williams in this election who had a public dispute with Wells regarding a strike in 1994.[7]
Harris retired from provincial politics in 2006 and was succeeded by Lorraine Michael as leader of the party as well as the Member of the House of Assembly for Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi.[8][9][10] At the time of his departure, his former law partner Danny Williams was Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Federal politics
In the 2008 federal election, Harris was again elected as the Member of Parliament for the riding of St. John's East.[11] He received 74.1% of the vote, which was the fifth highest winning percentage in the election. Following the election, Harris was appointed as the party's Critic for National Defence, and, on several occasions, has been named one of "The Backbench Top Ten", for his performance in the House of Commons, by Maclean's Magazine. Harris was re-elected in the 2011 federal election.[12] He lost the 2015 election in an upset to Liberal Party candidate Nick Whalen.[13][14]
In May 2019, Harris successfully[15] sought the NDP nomination for St. John's East for the 2019 federal election.[16] Harris defeated Whalen in the 2019 election to regain his old seat.[17][18] Harris did not run in the 2021 federal election.[19][20][21][22]
Harris endorsed Alberta MP Heather McPherson in the 2026 New Democratic Party leadership election.[23]
Electoral history
| 2019 Canadian federal election: St. John's East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| New Democratic | Jack Harris | 21,148 | 46.92 | +1.63 | none listed | |||
| Liberal | Nick Whalen | 14,962 | 33.20 | −13.54 | none listed | |||
| Conservative | Joedy Wall | 8,141 | 18.06 | +11.52 | $56,419.96 | |||
| Green | David Peters | 821 | 1.82 | +0.71 | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 45,072 | 99.84 | $101,886.12 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 528 | 1.16 | +0.91 | |||||
| Turnout | 45,600 | 67.65 | -0.21 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 67,406 | |||||||
| New Democratic gain from Liberal | Swing | +7.58 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[24] | ||||||||
| 2015 Canadian federal election: St. John's East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Nick Whalen | 20,974 | 46.73 | +38.96 | – | |||
| New Democratic | Jack Harris | 20,328 | 45.29 | -25.36 | – | |||
| Conservative | Deanne Stapleton | 2,938 | 6.55 | -13.90 | – | |||
| Green | David Anthony Peters | 500 | 1.11 | -0.02 | – | |||
| Communist | Sean Burton | 140 | 0.31 | – | – | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 44,880 | 99.75 | $198,664.41 | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 111 | 0.25 | ||||||
| Turnout | 44,991 | 67.86 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 66,304 | |||||||
| Liberal gain from New Democratic | Swing | +32.16 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[25][26] | ||||||||
| 2011 Canadian federal election: St. John's East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| New Democratic | Jack Harris | 31,388 | 71.22 | -3.33 | $68,045.84 | |||
| Conservative | Jerry Byrne | 9,198 | 20.87 | +11.61 | $85,207.91 | |||
| Liberal | John Allan | 3,019 | 6.85 | -5.73 | $53,539.40 | |||
| Green | Robert Miller | 467 | 1.06 | -0.32 | $335.14 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 44,072 | 100.0 | – | $85,537.94 | ||||
| Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots | 136 | 0.31 | +0.32 | |||||
| Turnout | 44,208 | 57.85 | +0.96 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 76,424 | |||||||
| New Democratic hold | Swing | -7.47 | ||||||
| Sources:[27][28] | ||||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Democratic | Jack Harris | 31,369 | 74.63% | ||
| Liberal | Walter Noel | 5,273 | 12.34% | ||
| Conservative | Craig Westcott | 3,872 | 9.21% | ||
| Green | Howard Story | 586 | 1.39% | ||
| Progressive Canadian | Shannon Tobin | 584 | 1.39% | ||
| Newfoundland and Labrador First | Les Coultas | 349 | 0.83% | ||
| Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi, 2003 Newfoundland and Labrador general election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | +/- | |
| New Democrat | Jack Harris | 2,456 | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Karen Carol | 2,221 | |||
| Liberal | Ray O'Neil | 391 | |||
| Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi, 1999 Newfoundland and Labrador general election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | +/- | |
| New Democrat | Jack Harris | 2,179 | |||
| Liberal | Pete Soucy | 2,010 | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Chris O'Brien | 793 | |||
| Independent | Shaun Dunn | 53 | |||
| Independent | Paul David Hillier | 116 | |||
| Independent | John Whelan | 48 | |||
| Signal Hill-Quidi Vidi, 1996 Newfoundland and Labrador general election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | +/- | |
| New Democrat | Jack Harris | 2,800 | |||
| Liberal | Joan Cook | 1,661 | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Cy Mills | 902 | |||
| Terra Nova Greens | Jason Crummey | 120 | |||
| St. John's East, 1993 Newfoundland and Labrador general election | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | +/- | |
| New Democrat | Jack Harris | 2,336 | |||
| Liberal | Joan Cook | 1,728 | |||
| Progressive Conservative | Sean Fitzgerald | 1,285 | |||
| St. John's East, Newfoundland and Labrador by-election, December 11, 1990 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | +/- | |
| New Democrat | Jack Harris | 1,977 | 49.24 | ||
| Liberal | Barbara Chalker | 1,237 | 30.81 | ||
| Progressive Conservative | John Ottenheimer | 801 | 19.95 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Conservative | Ross Reid | 21,503 | 44.13 | +9.16 | |
| New Democratic | Jack Harris | 17,198 | 35.30 | -10.98 | |
| Liberal | Jim Baird | 9,285 | 19.06 | +1.84 | |
| Christian Heritage | Robert Tremblett | 739 | 1.52 | Ø | |
| Total valid votes | 48,725 | ||||
| Canadian federal by-election, July 20, 1987: St. John's East | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | ||||||
| New Democratic | Jack Harris | 15,842 | ||||||
| Progressive Conservative | Tom Hickey | 11,971 | ||||||
| Liberal | Steve Neary | 5,894 | ||||||
| Rhinoceros | Peter Francis Quinlan | 527 | ||||||