2013 Nunavut general election


The 2013 Nunavut general election, was held October 28, 2013, to elect 22 members to the 4th Legislative Assembly of Nunavut. In November 2012 the assembly passed the Nunavut Elections Act 2012, stating that the writs for election drop September 23, 2013, and an election be held October 28, 2013, the proclamation was registered November 9, 2012. At the 2013 forum, held on November 15, 2013, Peter Taptuna was selected as the new Premier of Nunavut.

Election summary

Redistribution

The number of electoral districts were increased to 22 from 19. This is the first redistribution of boundaries since the territory was created in 1999.

New premier and MLAs

On September 5, 2013, Premier Eva Aariak announced that she would stand for reelection but would not run for the position of premier after the election, paving the way for the 3rd Premier of Nunavut to be chosen. Despite wanting to seek a new position in the Legislature she was defeated in the general election marking the fourth provincial / territorial election in a row that an incumbent Premier has been defeated in his or her riding.. A total of seven incumbents did not run for re-election.
In total 73 people registered with Elections Nunavut as candidates. Of these 73 candidates, 12 were incumbents hoping for reelection, and five have been elected in previous territorial elections, four to Nunavut and one to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories and 56 have not been elected in a territorial election before.
Two ridings were won by acclamation and both of these were returning MLAs. A total of eight ridings were contested solely by candidates who have not been elected in a previous territorial election.
Of the seven incumbent cabinet ministers, two chose not to re-offer, two were defeated, and three were reelected.

Candidates

Following is a list of candidates that had filed with Elections Nunavut by 2:00 pm, September 27, 2013. Bold represents winning candidate. All results from Elections Nunavut.
There were ties in two districts. In Rankin Inlet South, incumbent MLA Lorne Kusugak and challenger Alexander Sammurtok were tied with 172 votes. An official recount was held November 5 and was still found to be a tie. A by-election was scheduled for February 10, 2014, which was won by Sammurtok. In Uqqummiut, Niore Iqalukjuak and Samuel Nuqingaq were tied with 197 votes. After the official recount held November 5 Nuqingaq was found to have two more votes than Iqalukjuak.

Fate of incumbents

Bold indicates a cabinet member.
IncumbentRiding at dissolutionNew ridingResult
Eva AariakIqaluit EastIqaluit-TasilukDefeated
James ArreakUqqummiutn/aDid not run again
Moses AupaluktuqBaker Laken/aDid not run again
Tagak CurleyRankin Inlet Northn/aDid not run again
Monica Ell-KanayukIqaluit WestIqaluit-ManirajakReelected
Ron ElliottQuttiktuqQuttiktuqDefeated
Joe EnookTununiqTununiqReelected
Lorne KusugakRankin Inlet South/Whale CoveRankin Inlet SouthTied; defeated in subsequent by-election
John NingarkAkulliqn/aDid not run again
Johnny NingeonganNanulikAivilikDefeated
Hezakiah OshutapikPangnirtungPangnirtungDefeated
Keith PetersonCambridge BayCambridge BayReelected
Allan RumboltHudson BayHudson BayReelected
Fred SchellSouth BaffinSouth BaffinDefeated
Daniel ShewchukArviatn/aDid not run again
Louis TapardjukAmittuqn/aDid not run again
Peter TaptunaKugluktukKugluktukReelected
Hunter TootooIqaluit Centren/aDid not run again
Jeannie UgyukNattilikNetsilikReelected

Retiring incumbents

The following incumbents have announced that they will not be running in the 2013 election.
IncumbentDistrictRoleReason
James ArreakUqqummiutCabinet ministerUndisclosed reasons
Moses AupaluktuqBaker LakeRegular memberSpend more time with family
Tagak CurleyRankin Inlet NorthRegular memberSpend more time with family
John NingarkAkulliqRegular memberUndisclosed reasons
Daniel ShewchukArviatCabinet ministerUndisclosed reasons
Louis TapardjukAmittuqRegular memberUndisclosed reasons
Hunter TootooIqaluit CentreSpeakerUndisclosed reasons

By-election

With the tie in Rankin Inlet South confirmed by a judicial recount, a new by-election was scheduled on February 10, 2014.