Rick Wowchuk
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Richard Paul "Rick" Wowchuk (/ˈwoʊˌtʃʌk/ WOH-chuk; born 1958) is a Canadian politician and member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, representing the electoral district of Swan River as a member of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba. He was first elected in the 2016 provincial election, and re-elected in 2019 and 2023.
During the 2019 election campaign, Wowchuk came under scrutiny after it was revealed he was under sexual harassment allegations from his former constituency office assistant. It was reported Wowchuk violated workplace policy on five occasions, including by showing a picture of nude women to his assistant, by making a comment about her wearing a bikini, and through a joke about taking a meeting with her on FaceTime while he himself was bathing. The allegations did not affect Wowchuk at the polls; he was allowed to remain in the PC caucus and was re-elected in his riding by a large margin.
On October 24, 2023, after an election in which the PCs lost government to the New Democratic Party, he was appointed as the Shadow Minister for Natural Resources.
Electoral record
| vte2023 Manitoba general election: Swan River | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |
| Progressive Conservative | Rick Wowchuk | 4,801 | 62.91 | -5.95 | $11,614.36 | |
| New Democratic | Andy Maxwell | 2,433 | 31.88 | +6.00 | $6,625.95 | |
| Keystone | Don McKenna | 397 | 5.20 | – | $1,323.84 | |
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 7,631 | 98.29 | – | $52,337.00 | ||
| Total rejected and declined ballots | 133 | 1.71 | – | |||
| Turnout | 7,764 | 57.90 | +3.03 | |||
| Eligible voters | 13,409 | |||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | -5.98 | ||||
| Source(s)Source: Elections Manitoba |
| vte2019 Manitoba general election: Swan River | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |
| Progressive Conservative | Rick Wowchuk | 5,546 | 68.87 | 12.68 | $9,962.06 | |
| New Democratic | Shelley Wiggins | 2,084 | 25.88 | -7.27 | $6,225.59 | |
| Liberal | David Teffaine | 423 | 5.25 | -1.34 | $0.00 | |
| Total valid votes | 8,053 | – | – | |||
| Rejected | 62 | – | ||||
| Eligible voters / turnout | 14,790 | 54.87 | -5.31 | |||
| Source(s)Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba. |
| vte2016 Manitoba general election: Swan River | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |
| Progressive Conservative | Rick Wowchuk | 4,105 | 56.19 | 15.80 | $27,515.00 | |
| New Democratic | Ron Kostyshyn | 2,422 | 33.15 | -23.00 | $32,595.02 | |
| Liberal | Shayne Lynxleg | 482 | 6.60 | 3.13 | $131.25 | |
| Green | Dan Soprovich | 297 | 4.07 | – | $2,061.05 | |
| Total valid votes | 7,306 | – | – | $39,956.00 | ||
| Rejected | 25 | – | ||||
| Eligible voters / turnout | 12,182 | 60.18 | 0.52 | |||
| Source(s)Source: Manitoba. Chief Electoral Officer (2016). (PDF) (Report). Winnipeg: Elections Manitoba.. Elections Manitoba. 2016. |