After the polls closed for all Atlantic provinces between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. local time and the first results came in, there was no sign of life for the NDP. The party led by Jagmeet Singh wasn’t leading in any ridings, a dire forecast for the party’s performance across the rest of the country.
Once polls closed across all of Canada and as results were being confirmed, it was clear that Singh lost his home seat in Burnaby Central to Liberal candidate Wade Chang.
Singh spoke in front of supporters around 12:45 a.m., announcing in an emotional concession speech that he’ll be stepping down as NDP leader after the party selects an interim leader.
Singh led the NDP for seven years.
NDP’s popular vote was 6.3 per cent nationally, with about 1.2 million votes, and picked up seven seats.
It appears the party is going to lose its official party status in the House of Commons.
In Ontario, none of the electoral districts that were supposed to be among the most favourable for the party went to the NDP.
Hamilton Centre turned red to Liberal candidate Aslam Rana, while Windsor West, London–Fanshawe and Kapuskasing–Timmins–Mushkegowuk all voted blue.
On the Atlantic side, the party’s popular vote was 5.3 per cent in Newfoundland and Labrador, 5.7 per cent in Nova Scotia, three per cent in New Brunswick and 2.7 per cent in P.E.I.
In B.C., all three incumbents, Taylor Bachrach, Tanille Johnston and Alistair MacGregor, were poised to be elected in their ridings of Skeena-Bulkley Valley, North Island–Powell River and Cowichan–Malahat–Langford, respectively.
But as election night unfolded and most votes were counted, the three ridings went to Conservatives Ellis Ross, Aaron Gunn, and Jeff Kibble.
Candidate Don Davies won in Vancouver Kingsway with 37 per cent of votes, just one percentage point from Liberal opponent Amy K. Gill.
Despite the huge loss, NDP hold in Rosemary–La Patite-Patrie in Quebec with Alexandre Boulerice winning more than 40 per cent of votes, and Edmonton Strathcona in Alberta, with incumbent Heather McPherson reconfirmed over Conservative candidate Miles Berry.
Nunavut saw another incumbent, Lori Idlout, who won the riding again with almost 40 per cent of ballots in.
