YORKTON - When Yorkton results were finally available – one of the last two constituencies to release any numbers – Lenore Pinder had grown local support for the NDP, but was still a distant second to David Chan of the Saskatchewan Party.
Chan received 3361 votes compared to the NDP's 2128 according to preliminary results as of Tuesday morning.
“For sure disappointed,” Pinder said late Monday evening as the local results finally poured in. “But also thrilled we have, the NDP, pulled ahead as much as we have. . . . I just think I’m really pleased at what we’ve seen happen in Yorkton. . . The NDP is not a non-entity here.”
Noting, “it has been a lot of work . . . lots of miles put on walking around the city,” the NDP made strides, offered Pinder.
While not managing a win, she said the party “made a ton of inroads,” and that is foundational looking ahead. “We’ve set ourselves up for the next election,” said Pinder.
Provincially, the slimmer Sask Party majority sends its own message too, said Pinder. She said it’s an indication people “expect better” in terms of key areas such as health care and education.
“I think a clear message has been sent from voters in Saskatchewan.”
On the first preliminary count, the Sask United Party's Doug Forster was third with 803 votes, the Green Party's Valerie Brooks had 131 and the Timothy Kasprick of the Buffalo Party had 40.
Provincially the Saskatchewan Party secured a majority with 35 seats, with the NDP at 26.
