N.W.T. communities elect 8 new MLAs to 19th Assembly

In the N.W.T. communities outside of the capital, onlyone incumbent fighting for their seatmanaged re-election in the 19th Legislative Assembly.

There were 34 candidates in the communities that contended for nine MLA seats in the 19th Legislative Assembly in the N.W.T. election on Tuesday. Eight of those seats went to new MLA elects.

Three ridings were acclaimed, all with incumbent candidates:Mackenzie Delta, Monfwi and Hay River North.

Lesa Semmlertook a landslide win in the Inuvik Twin Lakes riding with a significant margin over candidates Sallie Ross and Donald Hendrick.

"I don't have one [main priority], I have a few," Semmler told CBC after winning. She listed childrens' education, the economy, jobs, and housing as important issues.

"I can fight for all of those."

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Semmler, a nurse also known as an advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, took the seat with 470 votes leaving a gap of hundreds of votes between her and Ross, who had 106.Hendrick trailed behind with 41 votes.

The riding was left vacant by outgoing cabinet minister Robert C. McLeod.

Yellowknife saw tight races in many ridings, with three heading to a judicial recount. Caroline Cochrane, Kevin O'Reilly and Julie Green were re-elected in their ridings, with newcomers in Yellowknife North, Yellowknife South,Kam Lake, and Great Slave.

Meanwhile, Diane Thom won the seatin Inuvik Boot Lake, adding another woman to the roster of women MLAs already elected tothe 19th Legislative Assembly.

"What an exciting night this has been," said Thom,a self-government negotiator who served two terms on theInuvik Community Corporation.

Thom won with 239 votes; Eugene Rees, an economicdevelopment officer for the government of the Northwest Territories, followed behind with 179 votes.Dez Loreen and Jimmy Kalinektrailed behind.

"I feel like the partnership between all the different departments, the different Indigenous groups is really key," Thom said.

Inuvik Boot Lake was left vacant by outgoing MLA and minister Alfred Moses.

Incumbents Schumann, McNeely, Sebert unseated

After a tight race, Rocky Simpson was elected as the MLA of Hay River South, taking the seat from incumbent MLA and cabinet minister Wally Schumann.

Results from Elections NWT said Simpson took the win with 350 votes, over Schumann's 322.

Simpson isa business ownerwho also served as president of the Hay River Mtis Local 51 and as a councillor and deputy mayor in Hay River.

Schumann hopedto get re-elected in the riding. He was first elected in 2015.

Paulie Chinna unseated incumbent Danny McNeely in the electoral district of Sahtu, which includes five communities: Colville Lake, Fort Good Hope, Norman Wells, Tulita and Deline.

Chinna,a Norman Wells council candidate in 2018,won with 309 votes just 22 votes ahead of McNeely.

Also running was Wilfred McNeely Jr., a former Sahtu grand chief who also worked onthe Sahtu land claim agreement, and Caroline Yukon, a former child protection worker in Deline.

In Thebacha, former Salt River First Nation Frieda Martselos won, with 50 votes ahead of Denise Yuhas. The riding encompasses Fort Smith, theSalt River First Nation and Smith's Landing First Nation.

Others running wereincumbent Louis Sebert, who was first elected in 2015, andDon Jaque, a former journalist andpublisher.

Nakimayak, Nadli also unseated

Herb Nakimayak, the incumbent from Paulatuk, wasunseated in Nunakput by former MLA Jackie Jacobson. Jacobson had about a third of the votes with 231.

Nunakput is made up of Tuktoyaktuk, Ulukhaktok, Sachs Harbourand Paulatuk and had six candidates.

It was a close race between Nakimayak, Annie Steen, Sheila Nasogaluakand Holly Campbell, who had votes in the low hundreds. Alisa Blake finished sixth, with 48 votes.

In the Deh Cho riding, Ronald Bonnetrouge unseated incumbent Michael Nadli, who was first elected in 2011.

Bonnetrougeis a project manager for the territorial government andformer chief of Deh Gh Got' First Nation. Bonnetrouge was also a candidate in 2015.

Steve Norn wins Tu Nedh-Willideh

Steve Nornwon with about a third of the votes,over four other candidates in the riding of Tu Nedhe-Willideh, formerly held by Tom Beaulieau. Itincludes the communities of Detah, Ndilo, Fort Resolution and Lutsel K'e.

Norn is a federal government employee and former RCMP officer.Nadine Delorme is anadvocate, student and Sixties Scoop survivor.Paul Betsinais a Ndilo councillor.Lila Erasmushas worked for the territorial government and several Indigenous organizations. Richard Edjericon is aformer Yellowknives Dene chief who has worked for theNWTHousing Corporation and theMackenzie Valley Impact Review Board.

Nahendehlast to poll results

Shane Thompsonis the only incumbent who faced an election in the communities outside of the capital to keep his seat in Nahendeh, which represents Fort Simpson, Fort Liard, Jean Marie River, Wrigley, Sambaa K'e and Nahanni Butte.

Thompson won with more than 60 per cent of the votes, withMike Drake coming in second.

Also running inthe riding was Randy Sibbeston, anartist andCanadian Ranger, and Eric Menicoche, a Liidlii Kue First Nation councillor andpresident ofXah Ndah Resources.

Lafferty intends to run for premier

Frederick Blake Jr. was acclaimed in Mackenzie Delta. He was first elected in 2011.

Incumbent Jackson Lafferty, who was first elected in 2005,was acclaimed in Monfwi.

"Feels great to be acclaimed," said Lafferty,at the CBC North headquarters Tuesday night. Lafferty confirmed that he intends to run for premier.

"Yes I'm putting my name forward," he said.

In Hay River North, Rocky "R.J." Simpson, was acclaimed. He's the incumbent, having first been elected in 2015.