ST. JOHN’S – Liberal candidate Derek Bennett has filed an application with the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, demanding a judicial recount in the Louisporte–Twillingate riding after losing the seat by a slim margin in the recent provincial election.
Bennett was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Mark Butt, who secured the victory with a majority of just 18 votes. Citing this narrow outcome, Bennett has argued that a detailed examination of the ballots is necessary to ensure the accuracy of the result.
The challenge comes despite the provincial election law generally mandating an automatic recount only for ridings where the margin of victory is 10 votes or fewer.
Bennett had previously raised concerns about the electoral process, specifically noting a multi-hour power outage that occurred in the riding on election day, which he suggested may have impacted voting operations.
The October 14 provincial election saw the Progressive Conservative Party secure a narrow majority, winning 21 of the 40 seats, while the Liberals won 15 seats. Bennett’s legal application seeks to overturn or verify the result in one of the closest races of the election cycle.
