**Premier John Hogan’s Liberals Ousted After a Decade in Power**
Published Oct 15, 2025 • Last updated 22 minutes ago • 4-minute read
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Newfoundland and Labrador’s premier-designate, Tony Wakeham, addresses supporters at a Progressive Conservative campaign event on election day in Stephenville, N.L., on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. Photo by Gerri Lynn Mackey / THE CANADIAN PRESS
ST. JOHN’S — In a clear signal for change, voters in Newfoundland and Labrador removed the governing Liberals from power after ten years, granting a narrow majority to the Progressive Conservatives on Tuesday.
As the final votes were tallied following a tense election campaign, Tony Wakeham’s Tories gained a slight lead and steadily pulled ahead of Premier John Hogan’s Liberals.
In his victory speech, Wakeham challenged analysts who had anticipated another Liberal victory. “Having spent over 30 years coaching basketball, I know that no statistic is less significant than the score at halftime,” he remarked. “Just a couple of months ago, many were looking at the halftime score and declaring this election over… Tonight, we all feel it — there’s nothing quite like a comeback.”
Three hours after the polls closed, the Progressive Conservatives secured 21 of the legislature’s 40 ridings, an increase of seven seats. The Liberals won in 15 ridings, a decrease of six seats. The New Democrats, led by Jim Dinn, doubled their representation to two seats, while two prominent Independents were re-elected.
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Newfoundland and Labrador’s election law mandates automatic recounts in ridings with a victory margin of 10 votes or fewer. The results indicate that the narrowest margin was in Lewisporte — Twillingate, where Tory candidate Mark Butt defeated Liberal Derek Bennett by just 18 votes.
The Tories also won the popular vote, garnering 44.37 percent of the ballots cast, compared to the Liberals’ 43.43 percent. Wakeham attributed his success to a consistent focus on health care, crime, and economic issues, frequently asking voters if they were better off under the Liberals.