1928 Newfoundland general election
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October 29, 1928
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40 seats of the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly 21 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Turnout | 75.62% ( 8.34pp)[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 1928 Newfoundland general election was held on 29 October 1928 to elect members of the 27th General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Dominion of Newfoundland. The Liberal Party led by Richard Squires defeated the Conservative Party led by Frederick C. Alderdice and formed the government with the support of Fishermen's Protective Union members. Legislation had been introduced so that persons named to the Executive Council were no longer required to run for reelection.
In April 1925, women over the age of 25 had been granted the right to vote; in the 1928 general election, 90 per cent of women eligible to vote cast a ballot. Helena Squires became the first woman elected to the Newfoundland assembly in a 1930 by-election.[2]
Results by party
| Party | Leader | 1924 | Candidates | Seats won | Seat change | % of seats (% change) |
Popular vote | % of vote (% change) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | Richard Squires | 10[b] | 40 Liberal 26 FPU 14[c] |
28 | 18
|
70.00% ( 42.22%)
|
58,750 | 54.98% ( 14.10%)
| |
| Fishermen's Protective Union[d] | J. H. Scammell | – | |||||||
| Liberal-Conservative Progressive | Frederick C. Alderdice | 25 | 40 | 12 |  13
|
30.00% ( 39.44%)
|
45,787 | 42.85% ( 15.09%)
| |
| Other | 1 | 8 | 0 | 1
|
0.00% ( 2.50%)
|
2,317 | 2.17% ( 0.99%)
| ||
| Totals | 36 | 88 | 40 | 4
|
100% | 106,854[e] | 100% | ||
Results by district
- Names in boldface type represent party leaders.
- † indicates that the incumbent did not run again.
- ‡ indicates that the incumbent ran in a different district.
St. John's
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal-Conservative | Liberal (historical) | Other | ||||||
| St. John's City East 84.26% turnout |
Frederick C. Alderdice 3,826 28.91% |
William Brophy 2,956 22.34% |
William Higgins† St. John's East | |||||
| Cyril Fox† St. John's East | ||||||||
| Gerald G. Byrne 3,687 27.86% |
St. Clair Churchill 2,764 20.89% |
William Brophy St. John's East | ||||||
| St. John's East Extern 80.01% turnout |
John Tobin 1,256 57.43% |
Thomas S. Devine 931 42.57% |
New district | |||||
| St. John's City West 86.41% turnout |
William Howley 3,373 21.73% |
Alexander Campbell 4,352 28.04% |
J. Sinclair Tait (Independent) 296 1.91% |
John Crosbie† St. John's West | ||||
| William Browne St. John's West | ||||||||
| William Browne 3,333 21.47% |
Joseph Fitzgibbon 4,169 26.86% |
William Linegar† St. John's West | ||||||
| St. John's West Extern 90.00% turnout |
Frank Bennett 1,317 51.53% |
Kenneth Ruby 1,239 48.47% |
New district | |||||
Conception Bay
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal-Conservative | Liberal (historical) | Other | ||||||
| Bay de Verde 82.07% turnout |
John Puddester 1,638 59.46% |
William Cave 1,117 40.54% |
Richard Cramm (ran in Carbonear) | |||||
| John Puddester | ||||||||
| Bay Roberts 67.71% turnout |
Augustus Calpin 608 33.76% |
John Parsons 1,193 66.24% |
New district | |||||
| Bell Island 88.22% turnout |
Richard A. Howley 582 34.62% |
Joseph Greene 1,099 65.38% |
New district | |||||
| Carbonear 73.83% turnout |
James Moore 1,065 45.92% |
Henry Cowan 689 29.71% |
Richard Cramm (Independent) 565 24.36% |
Robert Duff† | ||||
| Harbour Grace 80.56% turnout |
Edward Oke 388 19.72% |
Frank Archibald 1,440 73.17% |
Ernest Simmons (Independent) 140 7.11% |
Albert Hickman† | ||||
| John R. Bennett† | ||||||||
| Charles Russell† | ||||||||
| Harbour Main 70.35% turnout |
Charles Furey 1,468 24.70% |
Philip Lewis 1,532 25.78% |
William Woodford† | |||||
| William Walsh 1,463 24.62% |
Albert Walsh 1,480 24.90% |
Cyril Cahill‡ (ran in Placentia East) | ||||||
| Port de Grave 72.97% turnout |
Henry Burt 331 15.00% |
Robert Smith 1,349 61.15% |
Joseph Cantwell (Independent) 526 23.84% |
F. Gordon Bradley‡ (ran in Trinity Centre) | ||||
Avalon Peninsula
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal-Conservative | Liberal (historical) | Other | ||||||
| Ferryland 90.83% turnout |
Michael Shea 1,146 48.01% |
Peter Cashin 1,241 51.99% |
Peter Cashin | |||||
| Philip Moore† | ||||||||
| Placentia East 82.59% turnout |
Edward Emerson 753 43.00% |
Cyril Cahill 733 41.86% |
T. F. McGrath (Independent) 265 15.13% |
Michael Sullivan‡ Placentia and St. Mary's (ran in Placentia West) | ||||
| William Walsh‡ Placentia and St. Mary's (ran in Harbour Main) | ||||||||
| Edward Sinnott† Placentia and St. Mary's | ||||||||
| St. Mary's 84.37% turnout |
Charles J. Ellis 713 41.67% |
James Bindon 966 56.46% |
Michael Condon (Independent) 32 1.87% |
New district | ||||
| Trinity South 72.57% turnout |
Harold Mitchell 962 43.02% |
Edwin Godden 1,274 56.98% |
Edwin Godden Trinity Bay | |||||
Eastern Newfoundland
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal-Conservative | FPU | |||||
| Bonavista Centre 64.70% turnout |
Walter Monroe 839 39.06% |
J. H. Scammell 1,309 60.94% |
Walter Monroe Bonavista Bay | |||
| Bonavista East 69.88% turnout |
Frederick House 784 27.36% |
William Coaker 2,081 72.64% |
Lewis Little† Bonavista Bay | |||
| Bonavista North 76.88% turnout |
William C. Winsor 1,149 42.00% |
Robert G. Winsor 1,587 58.00% |
William C. Winsor Bonavista Bay | |||
| Bonavista South 68.67% turnout |
Herman Quinton 973 51.98% |
Samuel Brown 899 48.02% |
New district | |||
| Trinity Centre 70.27% turnout |
Wallace Goobie 609 30.16% |
F. Gordon Bradley (Liberal) 1,410 69.84% |
Isaac Randell† Trinity Bay | |||
| Trinity North 66.62% turnout |
John G. Stone 846 46.43% |
William Halfyard 976 53.57% |
William Halfyard Trinity Bay | |||
Central Newfoundland
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal-Conservative | FPU | Other | ||||||
| Fogo 60.35% turnout |
Robert G. Brown 482 23.29% |
Richard Hibbs 1,588 76.71% |
Richard Hibbs | |||||
| Grand Falls 89.18% turnout |
James S. Ayre 1,087 37.04% |
William Earle (Liberal) 1,848 62.96% |
New district | |||||
| Green Bay 64.28% turnout |
Walter Milley 389 21.26% |
Roland Starkes (Liberal) 1,357 74.15% |
Peter Parsons (Independent) 84 4.59% |
New district | ||||
| Lewisporte 55.49% turnout |
William Drover 334 24.94% |
George Grimes 1,005 75.06% |
New district | |||||
| Twillingate 60.92% turnout |
Thomas Ashbourne 804 46.58% |
Kenneth Brown 922 53.42% |
Kenneth Brown | |||||
| George Grimes‡ (ran in Lewisporte) | ||||||||
| Thomas Ashbourne | ||||||||
Southern Newfoundland
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal-Conservative | Liberal (historical) | |||||
| Burgeo 65.93% turnout |
Walter Chambers 1,070 52.02% |
Arthur Barnes 987 47.98% |
Walter Chambers Burgeo and LaPoile | |||
| Burin East 78.71% turnout |
James Winter 1,187 50.81% |
Jacob Hanham 1,149 49.19% |
J. J. Long† Burin | |||
| Burin West 81.71% turnout |
Samuel Foote 1,026 43.24% |
H. B. C. Lake 1,347 56.76% |
H. B. C. Lake Burin | |||
| Fortune Bay 62.27% turnout |
Harry A. Winter 928 45.94% |
Harris Mosdell 1,092 54.06% |
Harris Mosdell | |||
| Hermitage 66.45% turnout |
Rendell Jeans 644 38.89% |
Philip Fudge 1,012 61.11% |
New district | |||
| Placentia West 79.54% turnout[5] |
Michael Sullivan 1,512 62.95% |
Thomas J. Connors 890 37.05% |
New district | |||
Western Newfoundland
| Electoral district | Candidates | Incumbent | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal-Conservative | Liberal (historical) | Other | ||||||
| Humber 83.52% turnout |
John A. Barrett 632 17.35% |
Richard Squires 3,011 82.65% |
New district | |||||
| Port au Port 83.04% turnout |
William Abbott 623 52.13% |
John Joy 572 47.87% |
New district | |||||
| St. Barbe 78.94% turnout |
Joseph Quinton 548 30.65% |
Walter Skanes 1,240 69.35% |
J. H. Scammell‡ (ran in Bonavista Centre) | |||||
| St. George's 78.67% turnout |
Thomas Power 489 29.73% |
Joseph Downey 747 45.41% |
Edwin Gillis (Independent) 409 24.86% |
Thomas Power | ||||
| White Bay 65.86% turnout |
Joseph Moore 923 43.54% |
Joseph Strong 1,197 56.46% |
New district | |||||
Notes
- ^ a b Not the incumbent, but stood in this district and won
- ^ a b As the Liberal-Progressive Party
- ^ In a 1932 Fishermen's Advocate article, Coaker states that the FPU fielded 14 candidates in the 1928 election, and that all of them were elected except for Samuel Brown, who was narrowly defeated in Bonavista South. However, he does not identify these candidates.[3] The results by district table below only denotes those who had previously been elected as a member of the FPU, as well as the above-mentioned Samuel Brown.
- ^ As part of an electoral alliance with the Liberal party[4]
- ^ This figure includes votes cast for more than one candidate in multi-member districts. A total of 89,689 individual votes were cast in this election.[1]
References
- ^ a b Year Book and Almanac of Newfoundland 1929 (PDF). St. John's, NL: David R. Thistle. pp. 17–19. Retrieved November 29, 2025.
- ^ "Women's Suffrage". Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage. Memorial University.
- ^ Coaker, William. Past, Present and Future: Being a Series of Articles Contributed to the Fishermen's Advocate, 1932 (PDF). Port Union, Newfoundland: William Coaker. p. 18. Retrieved May 17, 2025.
- ^ "Fishermen's Protective Union After 1918". Maritime History Archive. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
- ^ "District of Placentia West - Returning Officer's Statement at Conclusion of Counting". The Newfoundland Gazette. December 4, 1928. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
Further reading
- Riggs, Bert (1981). "General Election #27: October 29, 1928". Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador, volume 1. St. John's: Harry Cuff Publications Ltd. Retrieved May 4, 2025.