Yukoners going to the polls Nov. 3, territory’s premier says

The next Yukon territorial election will happen on Nov. 3, the last possible day allowed under the territory’s fixed election legislation.

Yukon Premier Mike Pemberton told supporters Thursday that he would be visiting the territory’s commissioner on Friday to officially launch the campaign.

Flanked by candidates, Pemberton told those gathered in Carcross, Yukon, that housing is his party’s top priority, while they will also focus on health care, affordability, the economy and First Nations’ partnerships.

“We’re heading into this election at a time when things can feel heavy. People are feeling frustrated, they’re divided and they’re tired. But I say don’t lose hope. Our democracy is strong, our territory is strong, and together, we can be stronger still,” he said.

The Liberals have been in power since 2016, although Pemberton has only been the party’s leader and premier since June and he doesn’t have a seat in the legislature.

The Yukon has had three premiers since the last election in 2021, starting with Sandy Silver who announced in 2022 he was stepping down and would not seek re-election.

He was followed by Ranj Pillai, who stepped down earlier this year.

The party has a minority government with eight members of the legislature and the support of the three New Democrats with a confidence and supply agreement.

The official Opposition Yukon Party also has eight seats.

No sitting Liberal cabinet minister is seeking re-election this year. Speaker Jeremy Harper is the only Liberal hoping to return to the legislature.

So far, the Liberals have found candidates for 15 of the 21 ridings in the territory, and Pemberton acknowledged in an interview following the announcement that filling the slate has been “tough.”

“The golden desire would be to have all 21 slots filled. But I think it’s also important that we’re getting the right candidates. It’s very diverse. We have, for the first time, more women than men running. And I think that’s important too,” he said.

Parties have 10 days from when the campaign is launched to add candidates.

Pemberton said he believes he would have been able to put together a full slate if he had more time.

“Politics is polarized now,” he said.

“There’s some great leaders who I’ve talked to who are just not ready, or not interested in coming forward to represent people in their ridings.”

Pemberton told the crowd the election will be about making a difference in people’s lives.

“It’s about understanding our past and carrying its lessons forward to a stronger and shared future. That’s what Yukoners expect. That’s what we’re here to deliver,” he said.

Residents will also be asked to vote in a non-binding plebiscite on whether the way members of the legislature are elected should be changed from the current system of first past the post to a ranked vote.

The election comes as the cost of living grows in the territory.

The NDP has promised to build a universal school nutrition program across the territory if elected, while the Opposition Yukon Party has said it would cut a planned 34 per cent increase to Yukon power rates.

The Yukon Party ran the government from 2002 to 2016, before losing in an election that saw Silver’s Liberals grow from a single seat in the legislature to majority government status.

The Yukon Party is led by Currie Dixon, who was first elected in 2011 but did not seek re-election in 2016, choosing instead to manage the party’s campaign that year.

He returned to politics when he was elected leader in 2020.

Dixon said Thursday that 20 of the party’s 21 candidates have been selected.

He said Yukoners aren’t happy with the status quo and his party is ready to offer change.

“Both the Liberals and the NDP together have governed over the last four years, and the Yukon Party is the only party that can truly offer change in this election,” he said.

Dixon said housing and land availability continues to be a significant concern as people struggle with affordability. Thousands of Yukoners don’t have a primary doctor, he said.

“And then, of course, the rising rates of crime and the lack of safety that people feel when they’re in the downtown core of Whitehorse continues to be a significant problem.”

NDP Leader Kate White was first elected in 2011 and has served three terms in the legislature.

She was named leader in 2019. She said Thursday that her party also has 20 of 21 candidates selected.

White said the NDP has been knocking on voters’ doors for months.

“One thing we continue to hear from folks is people have health-care stories, about access to health care, or they’re front line workers who just feel underappreciated or overworked,” she said.

“People are really afraid about cost, so electricity costs, housing costs. Lots of things come up.”

The NDP has promised to freeze power rates, issue a government call for more power and build more housing.

White said she’s proud of the work her party has done this term, pointing specifically to the creation of the territorial dental plan which she said was “entirely spearheaded by the Yukon NDP. “

“It’s about building on those successes and looking forward,” she said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 2, 2025.