Halifax Needham

Candidates

Current MLA: Maureen MacDonald (NDP)

District profile: This district is home to the Halifax Dockyards, Fairview Cove Container Terminal, Northwood Manor and the Leeds Street campus of Nova Scotia Community College. It also contains the original site of Africville, one of earliest black settlements in the province.

The riding contains a great deal of public housing, apartments rented by students and thriving small businesses. There's a mix of seniors, families and young singles.

The "North End," as it's known locally, is ethnically diverse, with stores and services on Gottingen Street reflecting a variety of cultures, including Mi’kmaq, African-Canadian, Middle Eastern and Nigerian.

District map: Halifax Needham (PDF)

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2006 results

Voter turnout: 49.85 per cent in 2006

Political history

This is former Liberal premier Gerald Regan's old seat; he held it from 1967 until the defeat of his government in 1978.

The PCs held the riding through the 1980s, while Liberal Gerry O'Malley brought it back to Liberal red in 1988 and 1993.

But for the past decade, this district has been solidly behind the New Democrats. Maureen MacDonald has been elected four times, winning the last time around in a blowout.