Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke — Election Outlook & Projection
Where this riding stands
The RidingWatch model currently projects the Liberals at 48% in Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, 22 points ahead of the NDP at 26%, with the Conservatives at 20%, the Greens at 6%. Across 10,000 simulations the seat goes to the Liberals in >99% of them. The simulations put the Liberals' share anywhere from 42% to 55%, and the NDP's from 21% to 32%.
In April 2025 the Liberals won here with 49%, 20 points ahead of the Conservatives. That was a change from 2021, when the NDP took the seat. Compared with the 2025 result, the current projection has the Conservatives down 9, the NDP up 7, the Greens up 3.3 points. These shifts come from the national polling swing applied to this riding's past results — not from riding-level polling, which the model does not have.
The sitting member is Stephanie McLean (Liberal), MP since 2025.
Rating: Safe Liberal — the Liberals lead by a margin the model treats as decisive on current polling. In practical terms, a 22-point projected margin is wider than the swings the model produces in most ridings; a different result would need a local shift that national polling doesn't currently show. No other party is within 10 points of the lead on these numbers, though the NDP at 26% and the Conservatives at 20% clear the model's 15% viability floor. Every vote counts toward a party's national total regardless of the local outcome. The Strategic Voting Assistant below shows how these standings look for a specific goal, including simply voting for your first choice.
Sitting member
About this riding
Located on Vancouver Island's southwestern portion, this riding encompasses multiple communities spanning from Esquimalt through Saanich and extending west to Sooke. Esquimalt, a smaller municipality on the southern shore, has naval heritage and waterfront character. Saanich extends northward with suburban and rural character. Sooke, west of Victoria, is a smaller community near recreational areas. The landscape features coastal access, forests, and mountains. The riding transitions from suburban to semi-rural island communities.
Projected Vote Share — Next Federal Election
Projected using a blended proportional-uniform swing model with incumbency adjustments. Based on the current national polling average and regional crosstabs as of 2026-09-14.
Vote-share trend
2021 and 2025 are official results for this riding; the third point is the current model projection. No estimated historical points are shown.
2025 Election Results vs. Current Projection
| Party | 2025 Vote % | Projected % | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal | 49% | 48% | -1 |
| Conservative | 29% | 20% | -9 |
| NDP | 19% | 26% | +7 |
| Green | 2.7% | 6% | +3.3 |
Strategic Voting Assistant
Reasoning uses the current projected shares for this riding. Viability = within 10 points of the leader or at least 15%.
Explore More Ridings
Victoria Delta Surrey Newton Surrey Centre Fleetwood—Port Kells
About the Model
This projection is generated by the RidingWatch statistical model, which combines national polling data with historical election results to estimate vote shares and likely outcomes in each of Canada's 343 federal ridings.
The model begins with a weighted blend of results from the 2025 and 2021 federal elections, then applies the polling swing to each riding using a mostly-uniform (90/10 uniform/proportional) swing method — the national swing, adjusted by the province's pooled deviation where pollsters publish regional crosstabs. No pollster house effects are applied. Incumbency is not assumed: only first-term MPs (+1) and party leaders (+2) receive an adjustment. Uncertainty is estimated through 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations with correlated regional errors.
Projections are updated as new polling data becomes available. All estimates are probabilistic — they represent the most likely outcome given current information, not a guarantee of any result. Actual election outcomes depend on factors the model cannot fully capture, including local campaigns, turnout variation, and late-breaking events.