Sheilagh O'Leary

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
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

Provincial

2025 Newfoundland and Labrador general election: St. John's East-Quidi Vidi
Party Candidate Votes%±%
New DemocraticSheilagh O'Leary2,88649.90+7.87
LiberalJohn Whelan2,45842.50-0.45
Progressive ConservativeAlex Cepovski4407.61-7.42
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%±%
LiberalSarah Stoodley2,01146.60+4.93
Progressive ConservativeDamian Follett1,15226.70-10.52
New DemocraticSheilagh O'Leary1,07424.89+12.33
NL AllianceAndrea Newbury601.39-7.15
IndependentLarry Borne180.42
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 % ±%
LiberalCathy Bennett193239.88+30.33
Progressive ConservativeDanny 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

2021 St. John's Deputy Mayor election
Vote %
Sheilagh O'Leary (X) Acclaimed
2017 St. John's Deputy Mayor election
Candidate Vote %
Sheilagh O'Leary30,68984.21
Michelle Worthman5,75315.79
Ward 4 by-election, February 23, 2016
Candidate [5] Vote %
Sheilagh O'Leary2,72553.29
Jill Bruce95918.75
Debbie Hanlon87617.13
Matthew White2935.73
Janet Kovich2615.10
2013 St. John's Mayor election
Candidate Vote %
Dennis O'Keefe (X)20,04756.68
Sheilagh O'Leary14,73541.66
Geoff Chaulk5891.67
2009 St. John's at-large councillor election
Candidate Vote %
Sheilagh O'Leary24,05619.82
Sandy Hickman (X)17,56214.47
Tom Hann (X)17,07914.07
Gerry Colbert (X)16,18313.34
Bernard Davis15,07812.43
Simon Lono14,70512.12
Tom Badcock8,6507.13
Barry Buckle4,3523.59
Stephen Nolan3,6843.04

References

  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. 1 2 "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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