Scott Moe’s Saskatchewan Party scored big gains in rural ridings in early returns in Monday's provincial election with multiple cabinet minsters retaining their seats. Moe’s party was leading or elected in about 30 constituencies, most in the party's traditional rural stronghold outside the major cities. Carla Beck’s New Democrats were leading or elected in a dozen seats in Regina and Saskatoon, but needed to sweep the major cities to have a chance of gaining 31 seats to win a majority government in the 61-seat legislature.
Moe, in his second election as leader of the Saskatchewan Party, retained his seat in Rosthern-Shellbrook. Several other cabinet ministers retained their seats: Agriculture Minister David Marit, Energy Minister Jim Reiter, Advanced Education Minister Colleen Young, Highways Minister Lori Carr, Health Minister Everett Hindley and Trade and Immigration Minister Jeremy Harrison. Harrison was a controversial figure on the hustings.
Earlier this year, he apologized for carrying a gun into the legislature about a decade ago while on the way to go hunting. The Saskatchewan Party was seeking a fifth-straight majority to add to its 17 years in office, while Beck's NDP was looking to take back government for the first time since 2007. The voting caps a month-long campaign that focused on health care, affordability and crime.
Moe promised broad tax relief and continued withholding of federal carbon levy payments to Ottawa. His platform would cost an additional .