St. John's South—Mount Pearl

This riding encompasses the southern half of St. John's, the city of Mount Pearl, the rapidly growing town of Paradise, and the coastal communities of Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove, Bay Bulls, and Witless Bay along the Southern Shore. It blends established urban neighbourhoods with newer suburban development and small outport communities within commuting distance of the capital.

Candidates

Seamus O'Regan (Liberal) — O'Regan grew up in St. John's and built a prominent career in broadcasting and public affairs. He earned a Master of Philosophy from the University of Cambridge and studied at St. Francis Xavier University and INSEAD. Early in his career he worked as executive assistant to Minister of Justice Edward Roberts and as policy director to Premier Brian Tobin. He went on to co-host CTV's Canada AM from 2003 to 2011, becoming one of the most recognizable television personalities in the country. After leaving CTV in 2012, he worked as executive vice-president of communications at the Stronach Group and served as a media innovator in residence at Ryerson University. He secured the Liberal nomination in September 2014.

Ryan Cleary (NDP) — Cleary was the incumbent, having won the seat in 2011 by defeating Liberal Siobhán Coady. Born in Gander and raised in Harbour Grace and Bay Roberts, he graduated from the journalism program at the College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville. He built a career in Newfoundland journalism, working as a reporter at The Telegram, editor of The Independent weekly newspaper, and host of Nightline, a provincial open-line radio show on VOCM. His investigative work earned him a finalist spot for the Michener Award.

Marek Krol (Conservative) — Krol was known locally for his appearance on the outdoor cable television program Living Wild TV, which featured his family. He carried the Conservative nomination in a riding that had not elected a Conservative in decades.

Jackson McLean (Green Party) — McLean represented the Greens in the riding, campaigning on environmental policy and sustainable development.

About the Riding

St. John's South—Mount Pearl is the most suburban of the province's ridings. Mount Pearl, a self-contained city of roughly 23,000 adjacent to St. John's, has its own commercial districts and municipal services. Paradise, to the northwest, was one of the fastest-growing communities in Atlantic Canada during the 2000s, driven by young families seeking affordable housing within easy reach of St. John's employers. The Southern Shore communities of Bay Bulls and Witless Bay serve as gateways to the Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, where boat tours to view puffin colonies and humpback whales have become a significant tourism draw. Many residents work in the offshore oil industry or its onshore supply chain, and by 2015, the province's deepening dependence on oil revenues was emerging as a major concern. Employment insurance access, federal infrastructure investment, and the cost of living were among the bread-and-butter issues that shaped the campaign in this riding.