Jake Stewart (politician)
Canadian politician (born 1978)
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Jake Daniel Stewart (born March 10, 1978) is a Canadian politician who was elected to the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick in the 2010 provincial election. He represented the electoral district of Southwest Miramichi as a member of the Progressive Conservatives.[1] He resigned on August 17, 2021 and was elected the Conservative Member of Parliament for the riding of Miramichi—Grand Lake on September 20, 2021 and served for one term, not running for re-election in 2025.[2]
Jake Stewart | |
|---|---|
Stewart in 2020 | |
| Member of Parliament for Miramichi—Grand Lake | |
| In office September 20, 2021 – March 23, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Pat Finnigan |
| Succeeded by | Michael Dawson |
| Minister of Aboriginal Affairs for New Brunswick | |
| In office November 9, 2018 – September 29, 2020 | |
| Premier | Blaine Higgs |
| Preceded by | Roger Melanson |
| Succeeded by | Arlene Dunn |
| Member of the New Brunswick Legislative Assembly for Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin (Southwest Miramichi; 2010–2014) | |
| In office September 27, 2010 – August 17, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Rick Brewer |
| Succeeded by | Michael Dawson (2022) |
| Blackville City Councillor | |
| In office October 2008 – October 2010 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Jake Daniel Stewart March 10, 1978 Newcastle, New Brunswick, Canada |
| Party | Conservative |
Other political affiliations | Progressive Conservative |
Political career
Provincial politics
Stewart entered municipal politics in 2008, having run for the office of councillor in his hometown of Blackville. In 2010, he entered provincial politics, and defeated incumbent Liberal MLA Rick Brewer, who at that time was the Minister of Human Resources.
Stewart was a member of the Standing Committees on Education, Private Bills, Procedure, Public Accounts, and Chaired the Standing Committee on Legislative Officers. He has also been appointed by Jody Carr, then current Minister of Education to sit on the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Positive Learning and Working Environment (Anti Bullying).
Re-elected in 2014, Stewart was the opposition critic for Energy and Mines, and Aboriginal Affairs. He was also a member of the Standing Committee on Economic Policy.[3]
In 2016, he entered the Progressive Conservative leadership race.[4] In 2018, he was appointed as minister of Aboriginal Affairs but was dropped after the 2020 election.[5]
Federal politics
Stewart resigned on August 17, 2021, and was elected the Conservative Member of Parliament for the riding of Miramichi—Grand Lake on September 20, 2021.[5]
On February 25, 2025, the Telegraph-Journal reported that the financial agent for the Stewart's riding association had quit his post in January over allegations that he was mistreated by Stewart and his staff. The allegations were based on the fact that financial agent observed that Stewart made unauthorized expenses exceeding $500 limit established for transparency and never disclosed them to the board.[6] Jacques Poitras of CBC News reported that Brennan also named eight other staffers that had left their jobs during Stewart's tenure.[5][7] On March 3, 2025, Mike Morrison, a former Conservative candidate for Miramichi, confirmed some of the people to Poitras and stated that Stewart's temper played a role in their departures.[7] Morrison added that he felt that many of Stewart's own staff and volunteers had alienated and took issues to Stewart mocking Morrison having a stroke last December.[7] The Toronto Star revealed that Stewart terminated an employee from a two month medical leave without any communication or consideration for their recovery.[8]
On March 6, 2025, Stewart announced that he is not running for re-election during the 2025 federal election.[2]
Electoral record
Federal
| 2021 Canadian federal election: Miramichi—Grand Lake | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Jake Stewart | 14,218 | 43.7 | +8.0 | $105,621.33 | |||
| Liberal | Lisa Harris | 12,762 | 39.3 | +2.5 | $61,063.68 | |||
| New Democratic | Bruce Potter | 2,291 | 7.0 | -1.3 | $0.00 | |||
| People's | Ron Nowlan | 1,839 | 5.7 | +2.3 | $7,358.46 | |||
| Green | Patricia Deitch | 1,393 | 4.3 | -7.0 | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 32,503 | 99.1 | – | $106,042.83 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 306 | 0.9 | ||||||
| Turnout | 32,809 | 67.3 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 48,779 | |||||||
| Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +2.8 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[9] | ||||||||
Provincial
| 2020 New Brunswick general election: Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Jake Stewart | 3,887 | 47.97 | +12.55 | ||||
| People's Alliance | Art O'Donnell | 2,268 | 27.99 | -7.01 | ||||
| Liberal | Josh McCormack | 1,760 | 21.72 | -1.12 | ||||
| New Democratic | Glenna Hanley | 188 | 2.32 | +1.16 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 8,103 | 99.75 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 20 | 0.25 | -0.04 | |||||
| Turnout | 8,123 | 71.87 | -2.28 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 11,303 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | +9.78 | ||||||
| Source: Elections New Brunswick[10] | ||||||||
| 2018 New Brunswick general election: Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Jake Stewart | 2,960 | 35.42% | |||||
| People's Alliance | Art O'Donnell | 2,925 | 35.00% | |||||
| Liberal | Andy Hardy | 1,909 | 22.84% | |||||
| Green | Byron J. Connors | 447 | 5.35% | |||||
| New Democratic | Roger Vautour | 97 | 1.16% | |||||
| KISS | Dawson Brideau | 19 | 0.23% | |||||
| Total valid votes | 8,357 | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | ||||||||
| Eligible voters | ||||||||
| 2014 New Brunswick general election: Southwest Miramichi-Bay du Vin | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Jake Stewart | 3,837 | 47.62 | -10.95 | ||||
| Liberal | Norma Smith | 2,951 | 36.63 | +6.45 | ||||
| People's Alliance | Wes Gullison | 694 | 8.61 | +3.61 | ||||
| New Democratic | Douglas Mullin | 361 | 4.48 | +1.37 | ||||
| Green | Kevin W. Matthews | 214 | 2.66 | -0.48 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 8,057 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 27 | 0.33 | ||||||
| Turnout | 8,084 | 71.02 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 11,382 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative notional hold | Swing | -8.70 | ||||||
| [11] | ||||||||
| 2010 New Brunswick general election: Southwest Miramichi | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Jake Stewart | 3,786 | 58.57 | +14.05 | ||||
| Liberal | Rick Brewer | 1,951 | 30.18 | -21.90 | ||||
| People's Alliance | Wes Gullison | 323 | 5.00 | – | ||||
| Green | Jimmy D. Lawlor | 203 | 3.14 | – | ||||
| New Democratic | Jason Robar | 201 | 3.11 | -0.29 | ||||
| Total valid votes | 6,464 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 40 | 0.62 | ||||||
| Turnout | 6,504 | 75.61 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 8,602 | |||||||
| Progressive Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | +17.98 | ||||||
| [12] | ||||||||
Municipal
| Candidate | Votes | Incumbent |
|---|---|---|
| Jonathan A. Brennan (X) | 323 | |
| Kirby G. Curtis M | 228 | inc./sort. |
| Ryan L. McLaughlin | 193 | |
| Harold W. Moody | 85 | |
| Cindy Marie Ross (X) | 316 | inc./sort. |
| Jake Stewart (X) | 252 | |
| Cindy A. Sturgeon (X) | 373 | inc./sort. |
| Sharon M. Vickers | 251 | inc./sort. |