Whitehorse, YT – Yukon voters have handed the Yukon Party a majority government, marking a shift after nearly a decade of Liberal rule.
Leader Currie Dixon, who will become the territory’s first Yukon-born premier, told a room full of supporters in downtown Whitehorse last night that Yukoners wanted change.
“What a night, and what a result. Tonight, Yukoners chose to move on from the status quo. They chose a new path. They chose change,” said Dixon. “Yukoners chose a strong majority Yukon Party government.”
His party is projected to win 14 of 21 seats with about 52 per cent of the vote. Dixon said the territory faces major challenges ahead, including housing, health care, community safety and boosting private sector growth, which will require “difficult decisions.”
The NDP, led by Kate White, is expected to take six seats to form the Official Opposition. White said her party will hold the Yukon Party accountable on affordability and health care.
The Liberals were reduced to a single seat, with outgoing Premier Mike Pemberton losing in Whitehorse West to Yukon Party candidate Laura Lang, who won with 55 per cent of the vote. In his concession speech, Pemberton congratulated Lang on her victory and thanked the Liberal Party for their work during the campaign.
“The results tonight weren’t what we hoped for, but I’m deeply proud of this campaign and this team,” said Pemberton. “Our team is rooted in honesty, optimism and a genuine desire to make life better for all Yukon and all Yukoners.”
Pemberton noted that the Liberals have been in a similar situation when Sandy Silver was the lone Liberal MLA in 2011 and noted that the party “came back with vengeance.”
He says he will stay on as party leader until the party’s annual meeting in January.
Voter turnout dropped sharply to 53 per cent, down from 65.5 per cent in 2021 and 76.3 per cent in 2016. Early results from a non-binding plebiscite show support for electoral reform, with more than 10,000 voting to adopt a ranked ballot system and nearly 8,000 opting to keep first-past-the-post.
