Leader Currie Dixon says voters 'chose change' as Yukon Party wins majority government

Currie Dixon's yukon river company is projected to win a legal age authorities in Monday's territorial reserve election, marking the party's return to government after nine years in opposition.

"What a night and what a result," Dixon said in a victory speech late in the evening. The Yukon Party was projected to win in 14 of the territory's 21 ridings, as final results continue to trickle in.

"Tonight Yukoners chose to move on from the status quo. They chose a new path. They chose change."

Dixon's victory marks the end of nine years of Liberal government in the Yukon, the last four of which saw the minority Liberals propped up by the NDP. Now, the Liberals looked set to return to the political wilderness, with only one seat — Vuntut Gwichin — seemingly still within its grasp as the vote count continued.

Dixon will become the territory's 12th premier and the first to be born in the territory. He was a former cabinet minister in Darrell Pasloski's government a decade ago, and has been party leader since 2020.

The four-week campaign was dominated by talk about the territory's strained health-care system, the housing shortage, community safety, and the cost of living. Dixon touched on all those issues in his victory speech, again vowing "change."

Dixon also said that Yukoners want to see Whitehorse's downtown "cleaned up and made safe."

He also said they want the territory's economy "back on track."

"The Yukon government should no longer be an impediment to the growth of the private sector. It should create the conditions for growth, focus on doing what governments do well, and get out of the way of private industry," he said.

"Yukoners have told us that they want to see this change, and the good news is that change is here."

Along with Dixon holding onto his Copperbelt North seat, longtime party MLAs Brad Cathers, Scott Kent, Patti McLeod and Wade Istchenko were all re-elected, along with Yvonne Clarke who this time will represent the new riding of Whistle Bend North.

The party has also picked up former Liberal premier Ranj Pillai's seat in Porter Creek South, where newcomer Adam Gerle is projected to win, and the Whitehorse West riding, where Laura Lang defeated Pemberton.

Ted Laking and Doris Anderson are also projected to win seats for the Yukon Party in Porter Creek Centre and Porter Creek North, respectively, along with Tyler Porter in the new Southern Lakes riding, and Cory Bellmore in Mayo-Tatchun, where she ousted Jeremy Harper, the only Liberal seeking re-election this time. Linda Benoit won the new Whistle Bend South riding for the Yukon Party, and Jen Gehmair won Marsh Lake-Mount Lorne-Golden Horn.

Meanwhile, NDP Leader Kate White will hold onto her Takhini riding, and the party's Lane Tredger won re-election in the longtime NDP stronghold of Whitehorse Centre. The NDP was also projected to pick up at least four seats held by Liberals in the last government: Klondike, where former Liberal premier Sandy Silver was the longtime MLA, as well as Mountainview, Riverdale South, and Riverdale North, all held by Liberal cabinet ministers in the last government. Brett McDonald is projected to win Klondike for the NDP, Linda Moen in Mountainview, Justin Ziegler in Riverdale South and Carmen Gustafson in Riverdale North.

Pemberton's Liberals, are trailing in third place in all the ridings where votes are still being counted, except one. Liberal Debra-Leigh Reti is holding a narrow lead in the small northern riding of Vuntut Gwichin.

The election looked set to send the Liberals right back to where they were before they vaulted to a majority government in 2016 — as the third party in legislature, with just one sitting member, potentially representing the smallest, northernmost riding in the territory.

Turnout in the election was down significantly from the last vote in 2021. According to unofficial numbers from Elections Yukon on Monday night, just 53 per cent of registered electors cast a ballot. That's down from 65 per cent in 2021 and 76 per cent in 2016.

Senior writer

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