FREDERICTON – New Brunswick New Democratic Party Leader Dominic Cardy has announced that he is stepping down as Leader. (See attached statement). Party President Sharon Levesque confirmed today that Mr. Cardy will leave his post on January 1, 2017.
“I am one of many New Brunswickers who joined the NDP because of Dominic Cardy,” said Ms. Levesque. In the last election, our party received more votes than any NDP campaign in history and set new highs in over two dozen ridings. I believe that Dominic Cardy’s intelligence, decency, and focus on ideas had a lot today do with that.”
Under Cardy’s leadership the NDP took a record 13% of the province-wide popular vote. The party had set record highs in opinion polling in the pre-election period, even out-polling the governing Conservatives, and attracted a number of high-profile first-time NDP candidates.
Ms. Levesque thanked Mr. Cardy for his service. “While many of us are sorry that Dominic will not have more time to build the movement he started, we respect his selfless service to the party and the many unpaid years he put in growing our party.”
A Provincial Council meeting will be set in the next two weeks to appoint an interim leader, set out a date for a Leadership Convention, and adopt rules for the campaign.