A Saskatchewan Party incumbent who apologized for using a racial slur has lost his seat after mail-in ballots were counted in the provincial election.David Buckingham, who led in Saskatoon Westview on election night, now trails NDP challenger April ChiefCalf by 37 votes following Elections Saskatchewan's second preliminary count on October 30.The updated results show ChiefCalf with 3,501 votes and Buckingham with 3464 votes after mail-in ballots were added to Monday's election night totals.Buckingham made headlines during the campaign when he publicly apologized for using a racial slur about a Black person while in the government caucus office in 2023..Sask Party candidate repeats apology for racial slur, joined by Scott Moe.His riding was among nine constituencies where mail-in ballots could mathematically change the outcome. Election workers processed over 20,000 mail-in ballots across the province on October 30.The seat change gives the Sask NDP 27 seats, nearly double their previous total in the 2020 election. The NDP dominated urban areas, winning all Regina ridings and all but one Saskatoon constituency..Sask NDP wins urban seats but hits Sask Party’s rural wall.Premier Scott Moe's Saskatchewan Party maintains a strong majority with 34 seats despite losing the seat, securing their fifth consecutive government.Only one other government secured five consecutive governments, Tommy Douglas' CCF government.Additional mail-in ballots received between October 26 and November 7, as well as votes from hospitals and remand centres, will be included in the final count on November 9.
