N.B. election: Profiles of the major party leaders ahead of Oct. 21 vote

New Brunswickers are headed to the polls Oct. 21, arsenic Blaine Higgs seeks a 3rd word arsenic premier.

At dissolution, Higgs’ Progressive Conservative Party held 25 seats, the Liberal Party had 16 seats and the Green Party had 3 seats. There was 1 autarkic MLA and 4 vacant seats.

Here’s a look astatine each of the leaders of the large parties:

Progressive Conservative Leader Blaine Higgs

Born: March 1, 1954.

Early years: The lad of a customs officer, helium grew up successful Forest City, N.B., adjacent the Canada-U.S. border.

Education: Graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a grade successful mechanical engineering successful 1977.

Family: Married his high-school sweetheart, Marcia, and settled successful Saint John, N.B., wherever they had 4 daughters: Lindsey, Laura, Sarah and Rachel.

Before politics: Hired by Irving Oil a week aft helium graduated from assemblage and was yet promoted to manager of distribution. Worked for 33 years astatine the company.

Politics: Elected to the legislature successful 2010 and aboriginal served arsenic concern curate nether erstwhile Progressive Conservative Premier David Alward. Elected Tory person successful 2016 and has been premier since 2018.

Quote: “I’ve ever felt parents should play the main relation successful raising children. No 1 is denying sex diverseness is real. But we request to fig retired however to negociate it.” — Blaine Higgs successful a year-end interrogation successful 2023, explaining changes to schoolhouse policies astir sex identity.

Liberal Leader Susan Holt

Born: April 22, 1977.

Early years: Raised successful Fredericton, she attended Queen’s University successful Kingston, Ont., and past spent a twelvemonth successful Toronto earlier moving overseas for 3 years, spending clip successful Australia and India.

Education: Bachelor of arts successful economics and a bachelor of subject successful chemistry from Queen’s University.

Family: Lives successful Fredericton with her hubby Jon Holt and 3 young daughters.

Before politics: CEO of the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, CEO of the New Brunswick Business Council, civilian servant, concern lobbyist, advocate, advisor and enforcement with an IT work institution that trains and employs Indigenous people.

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Politics: Worked arsenic an advisor to erstwhile Liberal premier Brian Gallant. Won the enactment of the New provincial Liberal enactment successful August 2022 and was elected to the legislature successful April 2023.

Quote: “It’s daunting erstwhile you deliberation astir the challenges that we’re facing successful health, and we’ve brought unneurotic a squad that tin tackle those challenges.” — Susan Holt connected Sept. 8, 2024, introducing her party’s level connected wellness care.

Green Party Leader David Coon

Born: Oct. 28, 1956.

Early years: Born successful Toronto and raised successful Montreal, helium spent astir 3 decades arsenic an biology advocate.

Education: A trained biologist, helium graduated with a bachelor of subject from McGill University successful Montreal successful 1978.

Family: He and his woman Janice Harvey person 2 daughters, Caroline and Laura.

Before politics: Worked arsenic an biology educator, organizer, activistic and manager for 33 years, chiefly with the Conservation Council of New Brunswick.

Politics: Joined the Green Party of Canada successful May 2006 and was elected person of the New Brunswick Green Party successful September 2012. Won a spot successful the legislature successful 2014 — a archetypal for the province’s Greens.

Quote: “It was despicable. He’s intelligibly decided to instrumentality the debased roadworthy successful this campaign, to follow immoderate Trump-lite fearmongering.” — David Coon connected Sept. 12, 2024, reacting to Blaine Higgs’s assertion that the national authorities had decided to nonstop 4,600 asylum seekers to New Brunswick.