Cardigan

Cardigan occupies the eastern third of Prince Edward Island, covering nearly all of Kings County from the outskirts of Charlottetown to the island's eastern tip at East Point. The riding includes the growing suburb of Stratford, directly across the Hillsborough River from the provincial capital, as well as the towns of Montague, Souris, and Georgetown, along with rolling farmland, red sandstone coastline, and quiet fishing harbours.

Candidates

Lawrence MacAulay (Liberal) — MacAulay was seeking his tenth consecutive victory in Cardigan, having first won the seat in 1988 as a largely unknown dairy farmer who upset the incumbent Progressive Conservative. Over more than three decades in Parliament, he served as Minister of Labour and Solicitor General under Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, and was appointed Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food by Justin Trudeau in 2015, a portfolio he held heading into the 2019 campaign. He remained the longest-serving MP in Prince Edward Island history.

Wayne Phelan (Conservative) — Phelan was a Stratford-based entrepreneur who had run a pub in Japan before returning to Prince Edward Island to launch an internet company and later PEI Monitoring, a home security business. He entered politics motivated by concerns over rising federal debt and its long-term impact on younger generations.

Glen Beaton (Green Party) — Beaton held a BSc from the University of New Brunswick and had spent his career teaching at Kensington High School. He was drawn into federal politics after going door-to-door with his daughter Michele Beaton, who won a provincial seat for the Greens in the 2019 PEI election. His campaign emphasized energy efficiency retrofits, reforestation, and the impact of short-term tourism rentals on the housing supply.

Lynne Thiele (NDP) — Thiele was a retired teacher who had moved from Saskatchewan to Stratford in 2005. She represented Kings County on the provincial NDP executive, worked with the Council of Canadians, and was writing a book on Esther Lowden, the founder of Charlottetown's Haviland Club. She campaigned on affordable housing, pharmacare, and a basic income guarantee.

Christene Squires (Christian Heritage Party) — Squires rounded out the field as the Christian Heritage Party candidate.

About the Riding

Cardigan's economy rests on agriculture, fishing, and seasonal tourism. Potato farming dominates the landscape — PEI is Canada's largest potato-producing province — while the lobster and shellfish fishery sustains coastal communities from Souris to Murray Harbour. Stratford, connected to Charlottetown by the Hillsborough River bridges, has grown rapidly as a bedroom community, its population rising steadily through the 2010s and putting pressure on roads, schools, and municipal services. Farther east, Montague and Georgetown serve as regional service centres for Kings County, with a hospital, government offices, and retail. The port of Souris operates the CTMA ferry to Quebec's Magdalen Islands. Housing affordability emerged as a prominent local issue in the 2019 campaign, with candidates debating the impact of short-term rentals on the housing supply, the need for seniors' housing, and the challenge of retaining workers in seasonal industries. MacAulay's long incumbency and cabinet position made Cardigan a safe Liberal seat, though the Green Party's growing profile on the island added a new competitive dimension.