Constituency Profile: Regina Northeast

Regina Northeast constituency is outlined in red on the map above.

For more information on Regina Northeast, please click here.

Regina Northeast has been an NDP fiefdom since it was created for the 1967 provincial election. The first MLA for this seat was Walter Smishek, a trade unionist who played a significant role in developing Medicare in Saskatchewan, and was Minister of Health, Finance and Urban Affairs in the Blakeney Government. Smishek won in 1964, 1967, 1971, 1975 and 1978, but was defeated in 1982 by Russell Sutor of the PC Party. Sutor won 57 percent of the vote in Regina North East, which stands out as the only NDP loss (so far) in the riding's history. But Sutor quit suddenly in 1985, and in the subsequent by-election, former Humboldt MLA Ed Tchorzewski won this seat back for the NDP, giving them a ninth seat in the Legislature at time when their representation was at a historic low. Tchorzewski was easily re-elected in Regina North East in 1986, then switched ridings for 1991, which gave Ned Shillington the oppotunity to run here. Shillington was the NDP MLA for Regina Centre from 1975 to 1991. He served as Minister of Consumer Affairs in the 1970s,and later served as Associate Minister of Finance in the Romanow Government. Shillington retired in 1999 and is now a consultant in Calgary. After Shillington retired, Ron Harper became the MLA for Regina Northeast. Harper had been the MLA for Pelly from 1991 to 1995, but lost by 50 votes and becamse NDP MP Lorne Nystrom's Chief of Staff in 1997. Harper also beat retired Regina Chief of Police Murray Langgard to win the NDP nomination in Regina Northeast. Harper was easily re-elected in 2003 and 2007, and was named to cabinet just before the NDP lost government.

Harper has retired and the new NDP candidate is Dwayne Yasinowski, an NDP caucus researcher. The Sask Party candidate is Kevin Doherty, a Vice-President with SaskPower who has much private sector experience in BC. Doherty has been campaigning here for 2 years, and without a Liberal candidate in the race, Doherty looks like he is going to win this seat on November 7th. Look for Doherty to be added to Premier Wall's Cabinet in the near future.