Jeff Wharton

Jeff Wharton is a Canadian politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Red River North, formerly serving as the Minister of Economic Development, Investment and Trade. A member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba, he was first elected in the 2016 provincial election as MLA for Gimli, and re-elected in 2019 and 2023 as MLA for Red River North.^[1]

Jeff Wharton MLA
Minister of Economic Development, Investment and Trade
In office January 30, 2023 – October 18, 2023
Premier	Heather Stefanson
Preceded by	Cliff Cullen
Succeeded by	Jamie Moses
Minister of Environment, Climate and Parks
In office January 18, 2022 – January 30, 2023
Premier	Heather Stefanson
Preceded by	Sarah Guillemard
Succeeded by	Kevin Klein
Minister of Crown Services
In office September 25, 2019 – January 18, 2022
Premier	Brian Pallister Kelvin Goertzen Heather Stefanson
Preceded by	Colleen Mayer
Succeeded by	Portfolio Abolished
Minister of Municipal Relations
In office August 17, 2017 – October 23, 2019
Premier	Brian Pallister
Preceded by	new portfolio
Succeeded by	Rochelle Squires
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba for Red River North Gimli (2016-2019)
Incumbent
Assumed office April 19, 2016
Preceded by	Peter Bjornson
Personal details
Political party	Progressive Conservative
Residence(s)	Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba

Wharton initially ran as the Progressive Conservative candidate for Gimli in the 2011 provincial election, but lost to incumbent NDP MLA Peter Bjornson. When Bjornson retired in 2015, Wharton ran and was elected MLA for Gimli in the 2016 Manitoba election.

On August 17, 2017, Premier Brian Pallister appointed Wharton as Minister of Municipal Relations.^[2]

Following electoral boundary changes implemented in 2019, Gimli was dissolved and Wharton successfully sought election in the new constituency of Red River North.

Wharton was appointed Minister of Crown Services on September 26, 2019. He was succeeded by the Honourable Jamie Moses with the election of the NDP government in 2023.^[3] On October 24, 2023, he was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Economic Development, Investment and Trade.

Electoral record

v t e 2023 Manitoba general election: Red River North
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Progressive Conservative	Jeff Wharton	5,926	60.35	+2.38	$24,507.31
	New Democratic	Alicia Hill	3,893	39.65	+14.78	$168.00
Total valid votes/expense limit			9,819	98.56	–	$64,198.00
Total rejected and declined ballots			143	1.44	–
Turnout			9,962	60.47	-3.49
Eligible voters			16,474
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		-6.20
Source(s) Source: Elections Manitoba[4][5][6]

v t e 2019 Manitoba general election: Red River North
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Progressive Conservative	Jeff Wharton	5,569	57.97	-8.2	$24,853.38
	New Democratic	Chris Pullen	2,389	24.87	+3.2	$4,288.04
	Green	Graham Hnatiuk	740	7.70	–	$275.00
	Liberal	Noel Ngo	735	7.65	-4.5	$0.00
	Manitoba First	Jocelyn Burzuik	173	1.80	–	$1,716.07
Total valid votes			9,606	–
Rejected			38	–
Eligible voters / turnout			15,077	63.96
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		-5.7
Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). Statement of Votes for the 42nd Provincial General Election, September 10, 2019 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. "Candidate Election Returns". Elections Manitoba. Elections Manitoba. Retrieved 2 March 2020.

v t e 2016 Manitoba general election: Gimli
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Jeff Wharton	5,614	60.53	17.25
	New Democratic	Armand Bélanger	2,579	27.81	-23.72
	Green	Dwight Harfield	843	9.09	5.91
	Manitoba	Ed Paquette	239	2.58	–
Total valid votes			9,275	–	–
Rejected			108	–
Eligible voters / turnout			14,226	65.96	-0.03
Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (2016). Statement of Votes for the 41st Provincial General Election, April 19, 2016 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. "Election Returns: 41st General Election". Elections Manitoba. 2016. Retrieved 10 September 2018.

v t e 2011 Manitoba general election: Gimli
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	New Democratic	Peter Bjornson	5,012	51.52	-7.22	$37,146.57
	Progressive Conservative	Jeff Wharton	4,210	43.28	9.20	$34,709.30
	Green	Glenda Whiteman	309	3.18	–	$1,012.25
	Liberal	Lawrence Einarsson	197	2.03	-5.16	$0.00
Total valid votes			9,728	–	–
Rejected			17	–
Eligible voters / turnout			14,769	65.98	3.07
Source(s) Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (2011). Statement of Votes for the 40th Provincial General Election, October 4, 2011 (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. "Election Returns: 40th General Election". Elections Manitoba. 2011. Retrieved 12 September 2018.