New Brunswick general election, 1987

New Brunswick general election, 1987

← 1982 October 13, 1987 1991 →
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58 seats of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick 30 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   PC NDP Leader Frank McKenna Richard Hatfield George Little Party Liberal Progressive Conservative New Democratic Leader since 1985 1967 1980 Leader's seat Chatham Carleton Centre (lost re-election) ran in Kings West (lost) Last election 18 39 1 Seats won 58 0 0 Seat change 40 39 1 Popular vote 246,702 116,798 43,033 Percentage 60.39% 28.59% 10.55% Swing 19.09% 18.86% 0.4%
Map of New Brunswick's ridings coloured in based on the winning parties and their popular vote
Premier before election Richard Hatfield Progressive Conservative Premier-designate Frank McKenna Liberal

Richard Hatfield
Progressive Conservative

Frank McKenna
Liberal

The 31st New Brunswick general election was held on October 13, 1987, to elect 58 members to the 51st New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. The Liberal Party won power for the first time since 1967. They did so in an unheard-of landslide, winning all 58 seats in the legislature. This feat was only accomplished one other time in Canadian history, in the 1935 Prince Edward Island election.

The popularity of Richard Hatfield, who had served as a popular premier from 1970 through the 1982 election, fell due to scandals in his last term. In 1984, during an official visit to New Brunswick by Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers found marijuana in Hatfield's luggage. Hatfield was later acquitted of marijuana possession charges. As reported by the media, Hatfield was also alleged to have hosted parties with young men where illegal drugs were used. He was criticized by opposition parties and by the media for extravagant use of the government plane, which he used to travel to New York City where he visited night clubs, earning him the nickname "Disco Dick".