Hants East

Candidates

Current MLA: John MacDonnell (NDP)

District profile: The corridor between Enfield and Shubenacadie, north of Halifax airport, makes up a great deal of this district. The area has had the fastest growing population in the province and Mount Uniacke is a growing suburban community on its southern flank.

But a portion of this Hants County riding is rural and includes Upper Rawdon, Gore and the Noel Shore where agriculture, forestry and tourism are important. The population in these areas has declined in recent years.

District map: Hants East (PDF)

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2006 results

Voter turnout: 54.64 per cent in 2006

Political history

From the 1970s until the late '90s, Hants East swung back and forth between the Liberals and PCs.

But in 1998, high school teacher and Christmas tree farmer John MacDonnell won the riding for the NDP for the first time. He has been re-elected three times since, winning by almost 2,000 votes the last time around.