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Sheilagh O'Leary

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Sheilagh O'Leary
MHA
O'Leary in 2024
Member of the
Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly
for St. John's East-Quidi Vidi
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 3, 2025
Preceded byJohn Abbott
Deputy Mayor of
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
In office
October 10, 2017 (2017-10-10) – August 27, 2025 (2025-08-27)
Preceded byRon Ellsworth
Succeeded byRon Ellsworth
Personal details
Born (1964-09-17) September 17, 1964 (age 61)
St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
PartyNew Democratic
EducationMemorial University of Newfoundland (M.F.A.)

Sheilagh Ethne O'Leary (born September 17, 1964[1]) is a Canadian politician from the New Democratic Party of Newfoundland and Labrador. She was elected to the Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly for the district of St. John's East-Quidi Vidi in the 2025 provincial election.[2]

Prior to entering the House of Assembly, O'Leary was the deputy mayor of St. John's, having been first elected in 2017, and re-elected in 2021 by acclamation.[3] Before then, O'Leary was a councillor on the St. John's City Council, having first been elected in 2009 before running for mayor in 2013, where she came in second to Dennis O'Keefe.[4][5]

O'Leary ran in the 2021 provincial election with the NDP in Mount Scio losing to incumbent Sarah Stoodley.[6] She also ran in the 2014 Virginia Waters by-election coming in third behind Cathy Bennett.[7] O'Leary is a photographer.[8]

In 2026, O'Leary endorsed Avi Lewis in that year's federal NDP leadership race.[9]

Electoral history

[edit]

Provincial

[edit]
2025 Newfoundland and Labrador general election: St. John's East-Quidi Vidi
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
New Democratic Sheilagh O'Leary 2,886 49.90 +7.87
Liberal John Whelan 2,458 42.50 -0.45
Progressive Conservative Alex Cepovski 440 7.61 -7.42
Total valid votes 5,784
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters
New Democratic gain from Liberal Swing +4.17
[10]
2021 Newfoundland and Labrador general election: Mount Scio
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sarah Stoodley 2,011 46.60 +4.93
Progressive Conservative Damian Follett 1,152 26.70 -10.52
New Democratic Sheilagh O'Leary 1,074 24.89 +12.33
NL Alliance Andrea Newbury 60 1.39 -7.15
Independent Larry Borne 18 0.42
Total valid votes 4,315
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters
Liberal hold Swing +7.72
Source(s)
"Officially Nominated Candidates General Election 2021" (PDF). Elections Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
"NL Election 2021 (Unofficial Results)". Retrieved March 27, 2021.
By-election April 9, 2014 On the resignation of Kathy Dunderdale, February 28, 2014
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Cathy Bennett 1932 39.88 +30.33
Progressive Conservative Danny Breen 1892 39.05 -20.99
  NDP Sheilagh O'Leary 1021 21.07 -9.35
Total valid votes 4,895  
Rejected
Turnout
Liberal gain from Progressive Conservative Swing +25.66

Municipal

[edit]
2021 St. John's Deputy Mayor election
Vote %
Sheilagh O'Leary (X) Acclaimed
2017 St. John's Deputy Mayor election
Candidate Vote %
Sheilagh O'Leary 30,689 84.21
Michelle Worthman 5,753 15.79
Ward 4 by-election, February 23, 2016
Candidate [5] Vote %
Sheilagh O'Leary 2,725 53.29
Jill Bruce 959 18.75
Debbie Hanlon 876 17.13
Matthew White 293 5.73
Janet Kovich 261 5.10
2013 St. John's Mayor election
Candidate Vote %
Dennis O'Keefe (X) 20,047 56.68
Sheilagh O'Leary 14,735 41.66
Geoff Chaulk 589 1.67
2009 St. John's at-large councillor election
Candidate Vote %
Sheilagh O'Leary 24,056 19.82
Sandy Hickman (X) 17,562 14.47
Tom Hann (X) 17,079 14.07
Gerry Colbert (X) 16,183 13.34
Bernard Davis 15,078 12.43
Simon Lono 14,705 12.12
Tom Badcock 8,650 7.13
Barry Buckle 4,352 3.59
Stephen Nolan 3,684 3.04

References

[edit]
  1. ^ MacEachern, Daniel (January 5, 2015). "Sheilagh O'Leary". The Telegram. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  2. ^ "Newfoundland and Labrador 2025 live results". CBC News. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  3. ^ Ballard, Christopher (August 28, 2025). "'Thank you St. John's': Deputy Mayor Sheilagh O'Leary steps down from council". The Telegram (SaltWire Network). Retrieved October 15, 2025.
  4. ^ "In 'Doc' we trust". The Telegram. September 25, 2013. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved September 28, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Election Candidates | City Of St. John's". Stjohns.ca. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
  6. ^ "Here are all the MHAs elected in the Newfoundland and Labrador election". CBC News. March 27, 2021.
  7. ^ "Cathy Bennett wins Virginia Waters byelection". CBC News. Retrieved April 9, 2014.
  8. ^ https://nl.ndp.ca/sheilagh-oleary/
  9. ^ "Endorsements". lewisisleader.ca. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  10. ^ https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/newfoundland-labrador/2025/results/#/riding/27310
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