Yukon Liberals short of a full slate of election candidates as nominations close

The Yukon Legislative Building is seen in Whitehorse, on Wednesday, July 23, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

WHITEHORSE — The governing Liberal party in the Yukon has failed to secure a full slate of 21 candidates as the deadline to add names to the ballot passes for the Nov. 3 election.

A statement from Elections Yukon says nominations for candidates closed on Tuesday, and late, incorrect or incomplete submissions will not be accepted under its Elections Act.

Election Yukon says a total of 61 candidates have been nominated to serve as members of the 36th legislative assembly.

The Yukon Party and NDP have completed their slates with 21 candidates for each riding, while one Independent candidate is running in the election.

Elections Yukon says the Liberal slate has just 18 candidates, with no one running for the party in the ridings of Copperbelt North, Klondike and Kluane.

Liberal Leader Mike Pemberton said this month just before setting off the election that filling the party’s slate has been tough, but it was also important that they are getting the right candidates.

The Liberals have been in power since 2016, although Pemberton has only been the party’s leader since June and he doesn’t have a seat in the legislature.

Yukon Party Leader Currie Dixon said in an interview that the increase in the number of ridings this year didn’t change much for his party, as they only needed to find two extra candidates.

Dixon, who was travelling in the territory on Wednesday, said the team the party has built for the election is a diverse, strong group with candidates from a variety of backgrounds, including the private sector, First Nations and municipal governments.

Dixon said the Yukon Liberals and NDP have governed the territory for the last four years through their confidence and supply deal, and both parties represent the status quo but Yukoners are looking for change.

“We think that the Yukon Party is the only party that can really offer change,” said Dixon.

The Liberals and the Yukon Party each won eight seats in the last election, while the New Democrats had three and made a deal with the Liberal party to support its government.

Dixon said his party’s top priorities in this election are an expansion of the Whitehorse General Hospital and accelerating the construction of housing throughout the territory.

The Yukon NDP said it was the first party to announce it had a full slate of candidates for the election.

New Democrat Leader Kate White said they have candidates from all walks of life, including First Nation leaders, health-care workers, educators and business owners.

Its election commitments including ensuring everyone has a family doctor and brining the costs of living down, said White.

“Yukon has seen lots of things in the last 25 years under both the Yukon Party conservatives and the Yukon Liberals, and the track record isn’t great,” said White.

She said the NDP is putting forward ideas to let Yukoners know that they can “count on us.”

Yukon Liberal Leader Mike Pemberton could not be immediately reached for comment, but party spokeswoman Laura Seeley said in a statement that it has a team of “diverse, community-driven” Yukoners.

“We’ve got new faces, experienced leaders, and people from every corner of the territory — all stepping up because they care deeply about the Yukon’s future,” said Seeley.

She said a new Yukon Liberal government would introduce a budget that delivers “real action and real results” with a focus on housing, health care and affordability.

The redrawing of riding boundaries since the 2021 election has increased the number of electoral districts to 21 from 19.

By Nono Shen in Vancouver.