The 1923 Prince Edward Island general election was held in the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island on July 24, 1923.
The opposition Conservatives led by James D. Stewart gained many seats to defeat the incumbent government of Liberal Premier John Howatt Bell.
This election had a number of firsts for PEI. It was the first election in which women on the Island could vote, following legislation passed in 1921.
It also featured the first organized third party in a PEI election, when local members of the Progressive Party ran four candidates in three Prince County districts and collected just over 2% of the vote.
Party Standings
PartyParty LeaderSeatsPopular Vote1919ElectedChange#%ChangeJames D. Stewart525+2027,14352.3%+7.5%LiberalJohn Howatt Bell245-1922,88444.1%-9.4%Progressive---1,2222.4%+2.4%Independent1--16771.3%-0.4%
Members Elected
The Legislature of Prince Edward Island had two levels of membership from 1893 to 1996 - Assemblymen and Councillors. This was a holdover from when the Island had a bicameral legislature, the General Assembly and the Legislative Council.
In 1893, the Legislative Council was abolished and had its membership merged with the Assembly, though the two titles remained separate and were elected by different electoral franchises. Assemblymen were elected by all eligible voters of within a district, while Councillors were only elected by landowners within a district.
Kings
District Assemblyman Party Councillor Party 1st Kings Augustine A. MacDonald Conservative Harry D. McLean Conservative 2nd Kings Harvey D. McEwen Conservative James B. McDonald Conservative 3rd Kings Leslie Hunter Conservative John Alexander Macdonald Conservative 4th Kings Maynard F. McDonald Conservative Albert P. Prowse Conservative 5th Kings J. Howard MacDonald Conservative James David Stewart Conservative
Queens
District Assemblyman Party Councillor Party 1st Queens Murdock Kennedy Conservative Alexander McNevin Conservative 2nd Queens John Buntain Conservative Louis Jenkins Conservative 3rd Queens Leonard J. Wood Conservative J. Augustine MacDonald Conservative 4th Queens James C. Irving Liberal Shaw McMillan Conservative 5th Queens W. Chester S. McLure Conservative William J. P. MacMillan Conservative
Prince
District Assemblyman Party Councillor Party 1st Prince Jeremiah Blanchard Liberal Wilfred Tanton Conservative 2nd Prince Albert Charles Saunders Liberal William H. Dennis Liberal 3rd Prince Adrien Arsenault Conservative Thomas MacNutt Conservative 4th Prince Whitefield Bentley Conservative John H. Myers Conservative 5th Prince James A. MacNeill Conservative Creelman McArthur Liberal
Sources
Further reading