Richard Hatfield
Progressive Conservative

Premier after election

Frank McKenna
Liberal

The 1987 New Brunswick general election was held on October 13, 1987, to select the 58 members of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick of the 51st Legislature of the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The Liberal Party won power for the first time since 1967. They did so in a landslide, winning all 58 seats in the legislature. This feat was only accomplished one other time in Canadian history, in the 1935 Prince Edward Island election.

The popularity of Richard Hatfield, who had served as a popular premier from 1970 through the 1982 election, fell due to scandals in his last term. In 1984, during an official visit to New Brunswick by Queen Elizabeth II, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers found marijuana in Hatfield's luggage. Hatfield was later acquitted of marijuana possession charges. As reported by the media, Hatfield was also alleged to have hosted parties with young men where illegal drugs were used. He was criticized by opposition parties and by the media for extravagant use of the government plane, which he used to travel to New York City where he visited night clubs, earning him the nickname "Disco Dick".

In 1985, three Saint John-area Progressive Conservative members of the legislature (MLAs) challenged Hatfield's leadership and led a brief caucus revolt after the Liberals won two by-elections in previously Tory seats, but Hatfield led the party through a fifth election.

Hoping to boost his popularity enough to avoid defeat, Hatfield delayed calling the election as long as possible. It was finally held on October 13, 1987, five years and a day since the last election—the longest allowed by the Constitution of Canada. The Tories lost all of their seats, and Hatfield himself lost his own seat to Liberal challenger Allison DeLong by 19 points. Taking full responsibility for the defeat, he announced his resignation the night of the election while being interviewed by media outside of his Hartland home. Tory supporters had crowded into Hatfield's home, but abandoned him early in the evening as the returns began to come in.

Frank McKenna's Liberals were virtually assured victory from day one, thanks to Hatfield's scandals. However, they ran a very successful campaign that enabled them to garner an unprecedented clean sweep of the legislature. The New Democrats also suffered a moral defeat, losing their one seat—something they had won for the first time in 1982.

Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level

Polling firm	Last day of survey	Source	NBLA	NBPC	NBNDP	Other	ME	Sample
Election 1987	October 13, 1987		60.39	28.59	10.55	0.47
Omnifacts	October 1987		62	26	12	—	4.5	500
Baseline Research	September 30, 1987		65	25	10	—	4.0	500
Canadian Facts	September 26, 1987		62	27	11	—	2.8	1,245
Baseline Research	September 10, 1987		52	35	13	—	4	545
Angus Reid	September 1987		67	22	10	—	—	—
Omnifacts	July 1987		59	21	20	—	4.3	700
Election 1982	October 12, 1982		41.3	47.45	10.2	1.05

Evolution of voting intentions at provincial level

Polling firm	Last day of survey	Source	NBLA	NBPC	NBNDP	ME	Sample
By-election 1986	February 10, 1986		63.25	32.38	4.36
Baseline Research	January 31, 1986		58	33	9	5	300
Election 1982	October 12, 1982		40.24	53.09	6.67

Party		Party Leader	# of candidates	Seats				Popular Vote
				1982	Dissolution	Elected	% Change	#	%	Change
	Liberal	Frank McKenna	58	18	19	58		246,702	60.39%
	Progressive Conservative	Richard Hatfield	58	39	38	0		116,798	28.59%
	New Democratic	George Little	58	1	1	0		43,033	10.55%
	Independents		10	-	-	-		1,933	0.47%
***	Total			58	58	58		408,516	100.0%

Popular vote Liberal   60.39% PC   28.59% New Democratic   10.55% Others   0.47%

Seats summary Liberal   100.00%

Consisting of Victoria, Madawaska, Restigouche and Gloucester county ridings.

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		PC		NDP		Other
Victoria-Tobique		Dr. Larry R. Kennedy 3,787		J. Douglas Moore 2,126		Evelyn Hathaway 372				J. Douglas Moore
Grand Falls		Paul E. Duffie 4,124		Réal Dionne 997		Henri Soucy 224				Everard Daigle†
Madawaska-les-Lacs		Georges Corriveau 3,839		Jean-Pierre Ouellet 1,933		Maurice Clavette 368				Jean-Pierre Ouellet
Madawaska Centre		Gérald Clavette 3,136		Don Marmen 1,759		Paul Morneault 386				Gérald Clavette
Edmundston		Roland Beaulieu 4,526		J. Pius Bard 1,387		Rodolphe Martin 394				Roland Beaulieu
Madawaska South		Pierrette Ringuette 2,597		Percy P. Mockler 2,272		Jean-Claude Bosse 131				Percy P. Mockler
Restigouche West		Jean-Paul Savoie 3,479		Yvon Poitras 3,462		James Gallant 262				Yvon Poitras
Campbellton		Edmond Blanchard 4,278		Fernand G. Dubé 2,244		Clara I. MacMillan 362				Fernand G. Dubé
Dalhousie		Allan Maher 4,479		Scott Chedore 919		Stewart Beckingham 380				Allan Maher
Restigouche East		Rayburn Doucett 3,382		Paul E. McIntyre 1,599		Wayne Lapointe 190				Rayburn Doucett
Nigadoo-Chaleur		Pierre Godin 5,953		Annonciade "Nancy" Arsenault 1,478		John Gagnon 595				Pierre Godin
Nepisiguit-Chaleur		Frank Branch 5,086		Claude Albert 1,029		Harry Scott 323				Frank Branch
Bathurst		Paul Kenny 6,281		René Pratt 1,126		Richard Doucet 566				Paul Kenny
Caraquet		Bernard Thériault 5,642		Emery Robichaud 4,508		Gérard Rousselle 171				Emery Robichaud
Shippagan-les-Îles		Aldéa Landry 5,601		Jean Gauvin 3,993		Charles Rail 100				Jean Gauvin
Tracadie		Douglas M. Young 5,787		Colette McGraw 3,081		Serge Robichaud 823		Fernand Losier (Ind.) 184		Douglas M. Young

Consisting of Carleton, York, Sunbury and Northumberland county ridings.

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		PC		NDP		Other
Carleton North		B. Fred Harvey 2,687		Charles G. Gallagher 1,963		Anna Marie Kilfoil 217				Charles G. Gallagher
Carleton Centre		Allison Winston DeLong 2,787		Richard B. Hatfield 1,853		Kathryn Campbell 183				Richard B. Hatfield
Carleton South		Bruce Smith 3,059		Steven Porter 2,032		Arthur L. Slipp 303				Steven Porter
York North		Bob Simpson 6,221		David Bishop 2,714		Craig Melanson 1,075				David Bishop
York South		Al Lacey 6,894		Les Hull 3,485		Gary Hughes 1,002		H. Robert A. Storr (Ind.) 108		Les Hull
Fredericton South		Russ King 7,384		David Clark 2,672		Shauna MacKenzie 2,323		Harry John Marshall (Ind.) 116		David Clark
Fredericton North		Jim Wilson 6,667		Ed Allen 3,584		Carman J. Burns 888		Gordon "Brian" King (Ind.) 354		Ed Allen
Sunbury		Doug Harrison 4,551		Horace Smith 1,917		Christina Corey 569				Horace Smith
Oromocto		Tom Gilbert 3,807		Joe Mombourquette 1,377		Barbara Carr 436				Joe Mombourquette
Southwest Miramichi		Morris Green 4,676		Kevin Price 1,390		Patrick Kelly 180		Burton Joseph Kehoe (Ind.) 70		Morris Green
Miramichi-Newcastle		John McKay 4,120		Paul Dawson 3,334		Jeanne Theriault 214				Paul Dawson
Chatham		Frank McKenna 4,653		Leon Bremner 1,044		Patricia Marie Clancy 248				Frank McKenna
Bay du Vin		Reg MacDonald 3,026		Roger "Butch" Wedge 2,460		Yvon Roy 130				Butch Wedge
Miramichi Bay		Donald "Danny" Gay 4,422		James K. "Jim" Gordon 2,575		Joyce Carter 154				Jim Gordon

Consisting of Queens, Kings, Saint John and Charlotte county ridings.

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		PC		NDP		Other
Queens North		Doug Tyler 2,212		Constance M. Webber 1,442		Ruth Nightingale 135				Wilfred Bishop†
Queens South		Vaughn Blaney 2,075		Robert B. McCready 1,296		Susan Barton 256				Robert B. McCready
Kings West		Laureen Jarrett 6,717		Don Horne 2,811		George Little 4,397				John B. M. Baxter, Jr.†
Kings Centre		Dr. Kal Seaman 4,419		Harold Newton Fanjoy 2,426		Marian G. Jefferies 1,392		Calvert M. "Colby" Fraser (Ind.) 403 Edward Freeman Gaunce (Ind.) 31		Harold Newton Fanjoy
Kings East		P.A. "Pete" Dalton 4,662		Hazen Myers 2,737		Mark Dibblee Connell 815				Hazen Myers
Saint John Fundy		Stuart Jamieson 2,724		Bev Harrison 2,399		Ben Donaldson 1,459				Bev Harrison
East Saint John		Peter Trites 3,746		Gary William Woodroffe 1,737		Ervan Cronk 2,976		Dolores H. Cook (Ind.) 375 Frank Brown (Ind.) 272		Peter Trites
Saint John Harbour		Louis Murphy 2,705		Gay Wittrien 830		Kenneth Wilcox 768				Louis Murphy
Saint John South		John Mooney 1,974		Nancy Teed 1,133		David Brown 1,416				Nancy Teed
Saint John Park		Shirley Dysart 2,596		Jean Porter 820		Paul Allen Maccovour 979				Shirley Dysart
Saint John North		Leo A. McAdam 2,753		Eric John Kipping 1,165		Lesley Orill MacLean 952				Eric John Kipping
Saint John West		Jane Barry 4,208		G. M. Keith Dow 3,057		Bob Jones 1,574				G. M. Keith Dow
Charlotte-Fundy		Eric Allaby 2,475		James Nelson Tucker 1,340		Dorothy Matthews 220				James Nelson Tucker
Charlotte Centre		Sheldon Lee 2,431		Stanley J. Smith 765		Graham Richardson 133				Sheldon Lee
Charlotte West		Reid Hurley 2,286		Leland W. McGaw 1,434		Ray "Bud" Parks 211				Leland W. McGaw
St. Stephen-Milltown		Ann Breault 2,054		Bob Jackson 1,922		Rick MacMillan 132		C. Ronald Campbell (Ind.) 21		Bob Jackson

Consisting of Kent, Westmorland and Albert county ridings.

Electoral district	Candidates								Incumbent
	Liberal		PC		NDP		Other
Kent North		Conrad Landry 3,697		Gérald Guimond 1,414		Charles Richard 416				Conrad Landry
Kent Centre		Alan R. Graham 3,232		Sammy Arsenault 662		Neil Gardner 268				Alan R. Graham
Kent South		Camille Thériault 5,546		Omer Léger 3,242		Gérald Mazerolle 522				Omer Léger
Shediac		Azor LeBlanc 7,219		Allard Robichaud 2,087		Omer W. Bourgue 858				Azor LeBlanc
Tantramar		Marilyn Trenholme 3,160		Lloyd Folkins 1,085		Robert Arthur Hall 1,825				Robert Arthur Hall
Memramcook		Greg O'Donnell 5,220		Clarence Cormier 2,914		Claire Doiron 932				Clarence Cormier
Moncton East		Ray Frenette 5,131		David Cutler 1,114		Raymond Boucher 1,046				Ray Frenette
Moncton North		Mike McKee 6,570		Stephen M. Trueman 1,083		Chris Collins 1,099				Mike McKee
Moncton West		Jim Lockyer 4,853		Mabel DeWare 1,916		David Lang 786				Mabel DeWare
Petitcodiac		Hollis S. Steeves 7,081		C.W. "Bill" Harmer 3,833		Richard James Hay 2,368				Bill Harmer
Riverview		Hubert Seamans 5,357		Dave Richardson 2,002		Terry Boudreau 814				Hubert Seamans
Albert		Harold A. Terris 2,668		Malcolm MacLeod 1,818		Eugene R. Marshall 765				Malcolm MacLeod

Sources

• Government of New Brunswick. "Thirty-First General Election, 1987, Report of the Chief Electoral Officer" (PDF). Elections Statistics. Elections New Brunswick. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 19, 2014. Retrieved October 28, 2012.