Whitehorse West

Whitehorse West is an electoral district which returns a member (known as an MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of the Yukon Territory in Canada.

Whitehorse West

Yukon electoral district
Boundaries of Whitehorse West in Whitehorse
Territorial electoral district
Legislature	Yukon Legislative Assembly
MLA	Richard Mostyn Liberal
First contested	1952
Last contested	2016
Demographics
Electors (2016)	1,327
Census subdivision(s)	Logan, Ingram, Arkell, Copper Ridge

The Whitehorse district is the smallest riding, by size, in the Yukon and includes the subdivisions of Logan, Ingram, Arkell, and part of Copper Ridge. It is bordered by the ridings of Mountainvew, Takhini-Kopper King, and Copperbelt North.

The current MLA is Richard Mostyn of the Yukon Liberal Party, who was elected on November 7, 2016.

History

While it is one of the oldest ridings in the Yukon by name, the current riding no longer represents its initial boundaries, nor even the boundaries as recent as the 2000 general election due to the continued residential development in that area of the city.

Whitehorse West is the former seat of Yukon Premier Tony Penikett of the Yukon New Democratic Party, Deputy Premier Elaine Taylor of the Yukon Party, Dennis Schneider, 8th Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly, and Ken McKinnon, former Commissioner of the Yukon.

Initially considered a New Democrat stronghold, the riding evolved into a largely Yukon Party stronghold, despite falling to the Liberals in 2016. However, Whitehorse West could also be viewed as a bellwether, as it has voted for the governing party in every territorial election since 1985, except one (1992).

Whitehorse West was the only seat won by the Yukon New Democratic Party in the 1978 territorial election.

MLAs

Parliament	Years	Member		Party
1952	1952-1955		Fred Locke	Independent
1955	1955-1958		Jack Hulland	Independent
1958	1958-1961		James Smith	Independent
1961	1961-1964		John Watt	Independent
1964	1964-1967
1967	1967-1970		John Dumas	Independent
1970	1970-1974		Ken McKinnon	Independent
1974	1974-1978		Flo Whyard	Independent
1978	1978–1982		Tony Penikett	New Democratic
1982	1982–1985
1985	1985–1989
1989	1989–1992
1992	1992–1995
	1995–1996			Vacant
	1996		David Sloan	New Democratic
1996	1996–2000
2000	2000–2002		Dennis Schneider	Liberal
2002	2002–2006		Elaine Taylor	Yukon Party
2006	2006–2011
2011	2011–2016
2016	2016–present		Richard Mostyn	Liberal

Electoral results

2016 general election

2016 Yukon general election[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Richard Mostyn	455	45.8%	+17.1%
	Yukon Party	Elaine Taylor	433	43.6%	-14.3%
	NDP	Stu Clark	106	10.7%	-2.2%
Total			994	100.0%	–

2011 general election

2011 Yukon general election[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Yukon Party	Elaine Taylor	422	57.9%	+4.8%
	Liberal	Cully Robinson	209	28.7%	-9.9%
	NDP	Louis Gagnon	94	12.9%	+5.1%
Total			729	100.0%	–

2006 general election

2006 Yukon general election[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Yukon Party	Elaine Taylor	511	53.1%	+5.7%
	Liberal	Mike Walton	371	38.6%	+0.6%
	NDP	Rhoda Merkel	75	7.8%	-6.1%
Total			963	100.0%	–

2002 general election

2002 Yukon general election[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Yukon Party	Elaine Taylor	398	47.4%	+19.7%
	Liberal	Dennis Schneider	319	38.0%	-2.5%
	NDP	Rachel Grantham	117	13.9%	-17.4%
Total			840	100.0%	–

2000 general election

2000 Yukon general election[5]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	Dennis Schneider	621	40.5%	+8.4%
	NDP	Dave Sloan	480	31.3%	-9.4%
	Yukon Party	Elaine Taylor	425	27.7%	+0.7%
Total			1535	100.0%	–

1996 general election

1996 Yukon general election[6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Dave Sloan	486	40.7%	-1.6%
	Liberal	Larry Bagnell	383	32.1%	+0.2%
	Yukon Party	Ken McKinnon	323	27.0%	+2.3%
Total			1195	100.0%	–

1996 by-election

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By-election: 1996[7]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Dave Sloan	433	42.3%	-3.3%
	Liberal	Larry Bagnell	326	31.9%	+14.8%
	Yukon Party	Shelda Hutton	253	24.7%	-10.1%
Total			1023	100.0%	–

• On the resignation of Tony Penikett, 1995

1992 general election

1992 Yukon general election[8]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Tony Penikett	304	45.6%	-9.7%
	Yukon Party	Bob Bruneau	232	34.8%	+1.3%
	Liberal	Shaun Patrick Dennehy	114	17.1%	+6.2%
	Independent	Bernd Schmidt	12	1.8%	+1.8%
Total			666	100.0%	–

• The Yukon Progressive Conservative Party re-branded itself as the Yukon Party before the 1992 election.

1989 general election

1989 Yukon general election[9]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Tony Penikett	810	55.3%	-1.9%
	Progressive Conservative	Flora Evans	491	33.5%	-8.9%
	Liberal	Joe Jack	160	10.9%	+10.9%
Total			1465	100.0%	–

1985 general election

1985 Yukon general election[10]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Tony Penikett	716	57.2%	+8.5%
	Progressive Conservative	Charlie Friday	531	42.4%	-3.7%
Total			1251	100.0%	–

1982 general election

1982 Yukon general election[11]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Tony Penikett	541	48.7%	+17.4%
	Progressive Conservative	Pat Harvey	508	45.7%	+20.6%
	Liberal	Adam Skrutkowski	59	5.3%	-21.9%
Total			1112	100.0%	–

1978 general election

1978 Yukon general election[12]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	NDP	Tony Penikett	230	31.3%	–
	Liberal	John Watt	200	27.2%	–
	Progressive Conservative	Anthony Fekete	185	25.1%	–
	Independent	Al Omatani	81	11.0%	–
	Independent	Guy Julien	37	5.0%	–
Total			736	100.0%	–

• Partisan politics introduced into the territory

1974 general election

1974 Yukon general election[13]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Flo Whyard	252	42.3%	–
	Independent	John Watt	227	38.1%	–
	Independent	Al Omatani	116	19.5%	–
Total			596	100.0%	–

1970 general election

1970 Yukon general election[14]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Ken McKinnon	444	23.4%	–
	Independent	John Watt	294	28.7%	–
	Independent	John P. Hoyt	281	27.5%	–
Total			1023	100.0%	–

References

1. Unofficial Results, Whitehorse West Elections Yukon, November 7, 2016. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
2. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 2011 General Election Elections Yukon, 2011. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
3. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 2006 General Election Elections Yukon, 2006. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
4. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 2002 General Election Elections Yukon, 2002. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
5. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 2000 General Election Elections Yukon, 2000. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
6. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 1996 General Election Elections Yukon, 1996. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
7. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of the Yukon on By-elections Held February 5, 1996 Elections Yukon, 1996. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
8. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 1992 General Election Elections Yukon, 1992. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
9. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 1989 General Election Elections Yukon, 1989. Retrieved January 21, 2017
10. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer of Yukon on the 1985 General Election Elections Yukon, 1985. Retrieved January 21, 2017
11. Yukon Elections Board Report on the 1982 Election Elections Yukon, 1982. Retrieved January 21, 2017
12. Yukon Elections Board Report on the 1978 Election Elections Yukon, 1978. Retrieved January 21, 2017
13. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on Yukon Territory Elections Held During the Year 1974 Elections Yukon, 1974. Retrieved January 21, 2017
14. Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on Yukon Territory Elections Held During the Year 1970 Elections Yukon, 1970. Retrieved January 21, 2017