Regina University

Regina University was created for the 2016 election, encompassing neighbourhoods near the University of Regina including Hillsdale, Whitmore Park, and portions of Albert Park. Saskatchewan Party MLA Tina Beaudry-Mellor won the seat in 2016 and was subsequently appointed to cabinet as Minister of Advanced Education and Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan and the Status of Women. Her defeat in 2020 by the NDP's Aleana Young was one of the most significant upset results of the election, determined only after mail-in ballots were counted days after election night.

Candidates

Tina Beaudry-Mellor (Saskatchewan Party) — Before entering politics, Beaudry-Mellor was a political science instructor at the University of Regina and served as the chief political analyst for Global Regina for every federal and provincial election from 2007 to 2015. Elected in 2016, she was appointed Minister of Advanced Education, Minister Responsible for Innovation Saskatchewan, and Minister Responsible for the Status of Women in February 2018. She championed the Saskatchewan Technology Startup Incentive and was instrumental in making Saskatchewan the first province to enact Clare's Law, which allows potential victims of interpersonal violence to request information about a partner's history of domestic violence.

Aleana Young (NDP) — Young studied at McGill University and worked in the energy and environmental sectors. She was a small business owner in Regina and had served as a school board trustee with Regina Public Schools since 2012, as well as vice-president of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association. She also served as vice-president of Family Service Regina and as a member of the University of Regina Senate.

Tanner Wallace (Green Party) and Debbie Knill (Progressive Conservative) each received approximately 3% of the vote.

Local Issues

Post-secondary education policy was a natural focal point in a riding anchored by the University of Regina campus. Beaudry-Mellor's role as Advanced Education Minister meant her record on tuition, student supports, and innovation funding was under direct scrutiny. The NDP argued that the government's cuts to education and public services had eroded the quality of life in the riding, while Beaudry-Mellor pointed to her initiatives on technology startups and women's economic participation.

The race was ultimately decided by mail-in ballots cast during the COVID-19 pandemic. On election night, Beaudry-Mellor held a 178-vote lead, but the count of 1,371 mail-in ballots shifted the result in Young's favour. The riding was one of eight across Saskatchewan where the outcome was not settled until days after the election, highlighting the impact of pandemic-era voting procedures on the democratic process. Classroom sizes, healthcare capacity, and affordability were also significant issues among voters in the riding's mix of student-oriented and family neighbourhoods.