1889 General Election

Published on May 07, 2022 at 16:21

The 1889 General Election was the eight general election to the Ivonian Parliament. The three-term Dominion Party Government, led by James Sadler, faced off against a divided conservative opposition comprised of the Country Party, under Harvey Harris, and the Conservative Party, under Seward Spalding. The Conservative Party was a new party, formed out of significant opposition to Harvey Harris' leadership of the Country Party, which had reduced the former governing party to a mere two seats out of the 21 seats of the Ivonian Parliament.

It was viewed as all but impossible for the opposition to win back government, although the primary question on the minds of voters was about which faction of the opposition would secure total control over the right-of-center political landscape. Harris, now secure in his leadership of the Country Party, campaigned across the rural landscape for a substantial devolution of powers to the rural countryside away from the urban elite he decried. Seward Spalding campaigned on increasing the economic opportunities available for the rural economy by connecting the countryside to the nation's ports and expanding protective tariffs on agricultural goods. The Prime Minister, for his part, did not campaign much as it was felt that there was a greater chance of some incident going wrong for the government than anything particularly useful coming out of the campaign.

Sadler went to the Governor-General on November 11, 1889, and the election was set for December 16, 1889. The Whitaker Herald pre-election survey found the favorabilities for the parties as 34% in favor of the Country Party, 63% in favor of the Conservative Party and 62% in favor of the Dominion Party.

Results

The results indicated a clear path forward for the opposition, as the Conservative Party won six seats - a net increase of four for the opposition compared with 1886. The Country Party was wiped out, losing all of the seats it controlled heading into the election including Harvey Harris' own seat.

The Conservatives found themselves in a reasonably good position heading into 1892, as they would only require a swing of 3.7% towards them in order to secure government. The Dominion Party remained the largest party, with a five seat majority, but no longer commanded a majority of the vote. James Sadler went to the Governor-General on December 17th, and faced parliament for the first time on December 30, 1889.

Summary of Results

Party	Votes	Votes %	Seats	Seats %	Votes Δ	Votes % Δ	Seats Δ	Seats % Δ
Dominion	836,229	42.99%	15	71.43%	-299,103	-15.30%	-4	-19.05%
Conservative	685,888	35.26%	6	28.57%	685,888	35.26%	6	28.57%
Country	423,204	21.75%	0	0.00%	-389,268	-19.96%	-2	-9.52%

Seats Changing Hands

Seat	Winner	Previous Winner	Swing Required	Two-Party Swing
Port Henry	Conservative	Dominion	25.86%	26.90%
Sedgwick	Conservative	Dominion	26.61%	27.03%
South Coast	Conservative	Country	26.07%	31.90%
South Country	Conservative	Country	26.30%	32.91%
Upper Coast	Conservative	Dominion	25.39%	26.74%
Whitaker Outer	Conservative	Dominion	25.17%	26.75%

Target Seats by Party

Target Seats for the Conservative Party

Seat	Province	Current Holder	Raw Margin
Northampton	North Bay	Dominion	3.51%
Fort William	New Anglia	Dominion	4.39%
Madison	Westmoreland	Dominion	4.49%
Westgate Centre	Westmoreland	Dominion	5.78%
South York	South Yorkshire	Dominion	7.37%
Outer Anglia	New Anglia	Dominion	7.89%
York Country	South Yorkshire	Dominion	8.19%
Whitaker Centre	Southshore	Dominion	9.62%
Stanton	Westmoreland	Dominion	12.06%
Port of Whitaker	Southshore	Dominion	14.23%
Princeton	South Yorkshire	Dominion	15.38%
Lakeville	Westmoreland	Dominion	18.22%
Salem	South Yorkshire	Dominion	18.35%
Port Elizabeth	North Bay	Dominion	22.08%
Outer North Bay	North Bay	Dominion	40.56%

Target Seats for the Country Party

Seat	Province	Current Holder	Raw Margin
South Coast	Southshore	Conservative	11.66%
Whitaker Outer	Southshore	Conservative	12.90%
Upper Coast	Westmoreland	Conservative	13.01%
South Country	Southshore	Conservative	13.23%
Port Henry	Westmoreland	Conservative	13.36%
Sedgwick	Southshore	Conservative	13.86%
Madison	Westmoreland	Dominion	16.64%
Fort William	New Anglia	Dominion	17.90%
Northampton	North Bay	Dominion	18.30%
Westgate Centre	Westmoreland	Dominion	19.46%
Outer Anglia	New Anglia	Dominion	20.45%
South York	South Yorkshire	Dominion	21.03%
York Country	South Yorkshire	Dominion	21.40%
Whitaker Centre	Southshore	Dominion	23.05%
Stanton	Westmoreland	Dominion	26.92%
Port of Whitaker	Southshore	Dominion	28.12%
Princeton	South Yorkshire	Dominion	29.18%
Salem	South Yorkshire	Dominion	31.55%
Lakeville	Westmoreland	Dominion	34.05%
Port Elizabeth	North Bay	Dominion	35.68%
Outer North Bay	North Bay	Dominion	53.72%

Target Seats for the Dominion Party

Seat	Province	Current Holder	Raw Margin
Sedgwick	Southshore	Conservative	0.82%
Port Henry	Westmoreland	Conservative	2.09%
Upper Coast	Westmoreland	Conservative	2.70%
Whitaker Outer	Southshore	Conservative	3.16%
South Coast	Southshore	Conservative	5.28%
South Country	Southshore	Conservative	8.52%

Seat Details

Results in Fort William, New Anglia

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	27,682	40.76%	38,138	56.13%	-15.37%
Conservative	24,702	36.37%	0	0.00%	36.37%
Country	15,528	22.86%	29,805	43.87%	-21.00%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Fort William, after winning 40.76% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 15.37%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 4.39%.

Results in Outer Anglia, New Anglia

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	37,995	42.78%	50,751	57.10%	-14.32%
Conservative	30,987	34.89%	0	0.00%	34.89%
Country	19,829	22.33%	38,128	42.90%	-20.57%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Outer Anglia, after winning 42.78% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 14.32%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 7.89%.

Results in Northampton, North Bay

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	47,743	40.60%	67,335	57.23%	-16.63%
Conservative	43,620	37.09%	0	0.00%	37.09%
Country	26,227	22.30%	50,317	42.77%	-20.46%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Northampton, after winning 40.60% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 16.63%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 3.51%.

Results in Outer North Bay, North Bay

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	56,719	64.76%	69,483	79.12%	-14.37%
Conservative	21,198	24.20%	0	0.00%	24.20%
Country	9,670	11.04%	18,332	20.88%	-9.84%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Outer North Bay, after winning 64.76% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 14.37%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 40.56%.

Results in Port Elizabeth, North Bay

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	46,161	52.59%	59,493	67.73%	-15.14%
Conservative	26,778	30.50%	0	0.00%	30.50%
Country	14,844	16.91%	28,350	32.27%	-15.36%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Port Elizabeth, after winning 52.59% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 15.14%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 22.08%.

Results in Princeton, South Yorkshire

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	59,390	48.19%	78,437	63.60%	-15.41%
Conservative	40,430	32.80%	0	0.00%	32.80%
Country	23,424	19.01%	44,888	36.40%	-17.39%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Princeton, after winning 48.19% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 15.41%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 15.38%.

Results in Salem, South Yorkshire

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	36,219	49.97%	47,033	64.86%	-14.89%
Conservative	22,918	31.62%	0	0.00%	31.62%
Country	13,347	18.41%	25,485	35.14%	-16.73%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Salem, after winning 49.97% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 14.89%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 18.35%.

Results in South York, South Yorkshire

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	36,385	42.80%	49,574	58.29%	-15.49%
Conservative	30,117	35.43%	0	0.00%	35.43%
Country	18,504	21.77%	35,467	41.71%	-19.94%

The Dominion Party won the seat of South York, after winning 42.80% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 15.49%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 7.37%.

Results in York Country, South Yorkshire

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	48,909	43.20%	65,901	58.17%	-14.97%
Conservative	39,633	35.01%	0	0.00%	35.01%
Country	24,677	21.80%	47,388	41.83%	-20.03%

The Dominion Party won the seat of York Country, after winning 43.20% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 14.97%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 8.19%.

Results in Port of Whitaker, Southshore

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	49,289	47.45%	65,454	62.97%	-15.52%
Conservative	34,504	33.22%	0	0.00%	33.22%
Country	20,081	19.33%	38,485	37.03%	-17.69%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Port of Whitaker, after winning 47.45% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 15.52%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 14.23%.

Results in Sedgwick, Southshore

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Conservative	36,821	38.23%	0	0.00%	38.23%
Dominion*	36,028	37.40%	51,322	53.23%	-15.83%
Country	23,474	24.37%	45,094	46.77%	-22.40%

The Conservative Party won the seat of Sedgwick, after winning 38.23% of the vote. They gained the seat from the Dominion Party after a swing of 27.03%, and a relative two-party swing of 50.54%. This was enough to exceed the required two-party swing of 26.61%; the seat now sits on a raw margin of 0.82%.

Results in South Coast, Southshore

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Conservative	32,958	38.98%	0	0.00%	38.98%
Dominion	28,491	33.70%	40,994	47.85%	-14.16%
Country*	23,101	27.32%	44,672	52.15%	-24.82%

The Conservative Party won the seat of South Coast, after winning 38.98% of the vote. They gained the seat from the Country Party after a swing of 31.90%, and a relative two-party swing of 58.79%. This was enough to exceed the required two-party swing of 26.07%; the seat now sits on a raw margin of 5.28%.

Results in South Country, Southshore

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Conservative	40,997	40.58%	0	0.00%	40.58%
Dominion	32,388	32.06%	47,932	47.41%	-15.35%
Country*	27,636	27.36%	53,178	52.59%	-25.24%

The Conservative Party won the seat of South Country, after winning 40.58% of the vote. They gained the seat from the Country Party after a swing of 32.91%, and a relative two-party swing of 59.73%. This was enough to exceed the required two-party swing of 26.30%; the seat now sits on a raw margin of 8.52%.

Results in Whitaker Centre, Southshore

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	47,672	44.22%	64,006	59.34%	-15.12%
Conservative	37,306	34.61%	0	0.00%	34.61%
Country	22,823	21.17%	43,852	40.66%	-19.49%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Whitaker Centre, after winning 44.22% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 15.12%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 9.62%.

Results in Whitaker Outer, Southshore

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Conservative	32,289	38.69%	0	0.00%	38.69%
Dominion*	29,652	35.53%	42,025	50.33%	-14.80%
Country	21,519	25.78%	41,473	49.67%	-23.89%

The Conservative Party won the seat of Whitaker Outer, after winning 38.69% of the vote. They gained the seat from the Dominion Party after a swing of 26.75%, and a relative two-party swing of 52.13%. This was enough to exceed the required two-party swing of 25.17%; the seat now sits on a raw margin of 3.16%.

Results in Lakeville, Westmoreland

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	35,083	50.76%	47,172	68.22%	-17.46%
Conservative	22,491	32.54%	0	0.00%	32.54%
Country	11,546	16.70%	21,978	31.78%	-15.08%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Lakeville, after winning 50.76% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 17.46%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 18.22%.

Results in Madison, Westmoreland

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	24,112	40.38%	32,544	54.46%	-14.09%
Conservative	21,433	35.89%	0	0.00%	35.89%
Country	14,173	23.73%	27,210	45.54%	-21.80%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Madison, after winning 40.38% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 14.09%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 4.49%.

Results in Port Henry, Westmoreland

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Conservative	43,094	38.48%	0	0.00%	38.48%
Dominion*	40,754	36.39%	57,966	51.72%	-15.32%
Country	28,136	25.13%	54,120	48.28%	-23.16%

The Conservative Party won the seat of Port Henry, after winning 38.48% of the vote. They gained the seat from the Dominion Party after a swing of 26.90%, and a relative two-party swing of 51.40%. This was enough to exceed the required two-party swing of 25.86%; the seat now sits on a raw margin of 2.09%.

Results in Stanton, Westmoreland

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	32,151	46.33%	43,672	62.89%	-16.57%
Conservative	23,782	34.27%	0	0.00%	34.27%
Country	13,470	19.41%	25,769	37.11%	-17.70%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Stanton, after winning 46.33% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 16.57%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 12.06%.

Results in Upper Coast, Westmoreland

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Conservative	40,114	38.57%	0	0.00%	38.57%
Dominion*	37,309	35.87%	52,876	50.78%	-14.91%
Country	26,586	25.56%	51,248	49.22%	-23.66%

The Conservative Party won the seat of Upper Coast, after winning 38.57% of the vote. They gained the seat from the Dominion Party after a swing of 26.74%, and a relative two-party swing of 51.81%. This was enough to exceed the required two-party swing of 25.39%; the seat now sits on a raw margin of 2.70%.

Results in Westgate Centre, Westmoreland

Party	Votes	Percent	Previous Votes	Previous Percent	Percent Change
Dominion*	46,097	41.75%	63,224	57.24%	-15.49%
Conservative	39,716	35.97%	0	0.00%	35.97%
Country	24,609	22.29%	47,233	42.76%	-20.48%

The Dominion Party won the seat of Westgate Centre, after winning 41.75% of the vote. They held the seat despite a fall in their share of the vote by 15.49%. The seat now sits on a raw margin of 5.78%.