Blaine Higgs loses seat, 'extremely unlikely' to remain as leader

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs lost his own seat in the election Monday and said it's unlikely he will remain as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party.

Elections N.B.results show the party will hold 16 seats in the legislature, compared to 31 for the Liberals.

Higgs told CBC in an interview after conceding topremier-designate Susan Holt that it was "extremely unlikely" that he would stay on as party leader.

"I knew it was going to be a tight race," Higgs said, describing the overall outcome as the worst-case scenario for the party.

"It's heartbreaking in many ways," Higgssaid following aconcession speech atSt. Louis Bar & Grill in his Quispamsis riding, where about 50 people had gathered to watch the results.

WATCH | Higgs says losing was 'worst-case scenario' for PCs:

Higgs says unlikely hell remain PC leader

16 hours ago

Duration 2:56

Speaking with the CBC's Hadeel Ibrahim, Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs talked about his future with the party.

Higgs lost his riding outside Saint John to Liberal candidateAaronKennedy by 193 votes.

Across the province, several cabinet ministers also lost to their Liberal opponents, including Jill Green in Fredericton North,Rjean Savoie inMiramichi Bay-Neguac, andGreg Turner in Moncton South.

Ted Flemming, who has held various cabinet roles and was first elected in 2012, lost in Rothesay to LiberalAlysonTownsend.

WATCH | Higgs speaks to crowd after losing bid for re-election:

Blaine Higgs concedes to premier-designate Susan Holt

17 hours ago

Duration 5:05

Progressive Conservative Leader conceded to Liberal Leader Susan Holt a little more than an hour after polls closed. The PCs are projected to win only 16 seats, compared to a projected 31 for the Liberals.

In Sussex-Three Rivers, PC and cabinet minister Tammy Scott-Wallace was re-elected, beating Bruce Northrup by 507 votes.Northrup ran for the Liberals after previously representing the region as a PC.

InHampton-Fundy-St. Martins, PCFaytene Grasseschilost by 224 votes to LiberalJohnHerron.

Former People's Alliance MLAs Kris Austin and Michelle Conroy, who left the party to sit as PCs in 2022, were both re-elected to the legislature under the Tory banner.

Others re-electedfor the PCs include Mike Dawson inMiramichi West, Glen Savoie in Saint John East,Sherry Wilson in Albert-Riverview, Bill Oliver in Kings Centre, Kathy Bockus in Saint Croix,Mary Wilson inOromocto-Sunbury, Ryan Cullins in Fredericton-York, Richard Ames in Carleton-York,and Bill Hogan in Woodstock-Hartland.

Jeff Carr, a former PC MLA who resigned from the government last year, called the results the party's worst loss in 30 years.

"This was a referendum on Blaine," Carr said during a CBC election show panel, saying the party needs to reflect on its direction. He also called on Higgs toapologize to Holt.

WATCH | WhyCarrthinks Higgs should apologize to Holt:

Higgs should apologize to Holt, says former PC cabinet minister

17 hours ago

Duration 1:51

Following CBCs Liberal majority projection, former PC cabinet minister Jeff Carr, who resigned under Blaine Higgss leadership, said Higgs should apologize to Liberal premier-designate Susan Holt.

The 70-year-old Higgs, a former Irving Oil executive, hasled the party since 2016 and has been premier since 2018. He was first elected to represent Quispamsis in 2010, serving four years as finance minister under premier David Alward.

Higgs was premier in a minority government until 2020, when the party won 27 seats compared to 17 for the Liberals, three for the Greens and two for the People's Alliance.

Higgs's publiclyflirted with stepping aside as leader before another electionbut ultimatelyoptedto stay after an internal party revolt.

Several ministers, including Carr, and longtime MLAs announced they'd resign or wouldn't run again, citing his leadership andhis government's changes to Policy 713, which deals with gender identityin the education system.

Higgs in an interview described it as an internal issue "mainly around parents and kids," but said 85 per cent of caucus backed his position.

"It was unfortunate that it turned into a big issue within the party," Higgs said.

WATCH | What happened? PC campaign manager answers:

Higgss campaign manager reflects on election results

15 hours ago

Duration 1:45

PC campaign manager Steve Outhouse spoke with the CBCs Hadeel Ibrahim about what led to Mondays Liberal victory.

The party campaigned on those changes while offering few other promises for another term.

The most significant promise was to cut theharmonized sales tax (HST) over two years to 13 per cent.It's a promise estimated to cost the province$1.6 billion in lost revenue.

The party released a two-page platformovertheThanksgiving weekend.

The party promised to expand the scope of practice for nurses, paramedics and pharmacists, balance thebudget, forcethose with an addiction into treatment if they pose a danger to themselves or others, and litigateagainst title claims by First Nations.

The party fielded a full slate of 49 candidates. Higgs emphasized a focus on the north, nominating bilingual mayors nominated in Campbellton and Bathurst regions previously held by Liberals.But both of those candidates lost to Liberals.