Susan Holt

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The Honourable
Susan Holt
MLA
Susan Holt in 2025
Holt in 2025
35th Premier of New Brunswick
Incumbent
Assumed office
November 2, 2024
MonarchCharles III
Lieutenant GovernorBrenda Murphy
Louise Imbeault
DeputyRené Legacy
Preceded byBlaine Higgs
Leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Association
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 6, 2022
Preceded byRoger Melanson (interim)
Leader of the Opposition of New Brunswick
In office
May 9, 2023 – November 19, 2024
Preceded byRob McKee
Succeeded byGlen Savoie
Member of the
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
Incumbent
Assumed office
October 21, 2024
Preceded byRiding established
ConstituencyFredericton South-Silverwood
In office
April 24, 2023 – September 19, 2024
Preceded byDenis Landry
Succeeded byRiding abolished
ConstituencyBathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore
Personal details
Born (1977-04-22) April 22, 1977 (age 49)
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
PartyLiberal
SpouseJon Holt
Children3
Alma materQueen's University

Susan Holt (born April 22, 1977)[1] is a Canadian politician and businesswoman, who has served as the 35th premier of New Brunswick since November 2, 2024, and has been the leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Association since August 6, 2022.[2] She has served as the MLA for Fredericton South-Silverwood since 2024. Previously, she was the MLA for Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore and as the leader of the Opposition from 2023 to 2024.[3] She is the first woman to become premier of New Brunswick.

Early life and career

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Susan Holt was born on April 22, 1977 in Fredericton, New Brunswick.[1][4] She grew up in Fredericton[5] where she attended French immersion school and became fluently bilingual in English and French.[6] She attended Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario, where she graduated with a degree in chemistry in 1999 and one in economics in 2000.[7][8]

Prior to entering politics, Holt worked in Fredericton,[5] where she served as chief growth officer for software testing companies PLATO Testing and PQA,[9] and served as president and CEO of the New Brunswick Business Council.[10] In 2015, Holt was appointed by Premier Brian Gallant to serve as chief of business relationships on the New Brunswick Jobs Board secretariat,[11] and simultaneously served as senior economic development advisor to Gallant.[12][13] Holt ran as the Liberal candidate in Fredericton South in the 2018 New Brunswick general election, losing to New Brunswick Green Party leader David Coon.[10][5]

Political career

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Holt was elected leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Association during the August 6, 2022 leadership election on the third ballot, defeating three candidates. As Holt was not a sitting member of the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick upon becoming leader of the Liberal Party, Liberal MLA Denis Landry offered in August 2022 to resign his seat so that Holt could run in a by-election.[14] In November 2022, Holt announced that she would accept his offer and run in Landry's riding of Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore. Landry then confirmed that he was resigning the seat.[15] On April 24, 2023, Holt won a by-election in Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore to win a seat in the Legislative Assembly. On May 9, 2023, she became the official opposition leader in New Brunswick.[16]

Premier (2024–present)

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The Liberals won 31 seats in the 2024 general election, making Holt the premier-designate to succeed Blaine Higgs of the Progressive Conservative Party.[17] Holt was elected MLA for Fredericton South-Silverwood, a newly created riding partly overlapping the former Fredericton South where she had run in 2018. She was sworn in along with her cabinet on November 2.

On November 7, 2024, Holt and her government approved changes to Regulation 84-20, repealing a 1984 rule which restricted Medicare funding for surgical abortions performed outside of hospitals.[18][19]

In March 2025, the Holt government tabled its first budget.[20] Amid proposed U.S. tariffs under the second Trump administration, Holt held briefings in March and April 2025 to outline the province's response strategy defending a "cooler heads" approach that avoided using electricity exports to Maine as leverage.[21][22][23][24][25]

During the 2025 New Brunswick wildfires, which peaked in August with blazes in areas like Irishtown and Miramichi considered out of control,[26] Holt's government restricted access to Crown land to mitigate risks.[27] Holt held multiple news conferences to provide updates, thanking firefighters and emphasizing mental health support for affected residents amid evacuations and smoke concerns.[28][29] Opposition MLAs called for more investigations into the wildfires' causes, with some criticizing slow pace of information being released.[30][31]

Personal life

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Holt lives with her family in Fredericton.[32] She is married to Jon Holt, and they have three children.[6]

Electoral record

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Fredericton South-Silverwood

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2024 New Brunswick general election: Fredericton South-Silverwood
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Susan Holt 4,605 51.64 +37.5
Progressive Conservative Nicolle Carlin 2,287 25.65 -14.6
Green Simon Ouellette 1,860 20.86 -18.0
New Democratic Nicki Lyons-MacFarlane 165 1.85 +0.3
Total valid votes 8,917 99.85
Total rejected ballots 13 0.15
Turnout 8,930 69.44
Eligible voters 12,860
Liberal notional gain from Progressive Conservative Swing +26.1
This district was created by splitting Fredericton South, which elected a Green Party member in the previous election, into two new districts. David Coon was the incumbent from Fredericton South, and will be running in the other district, Fredericton-Lincoln.

Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore

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New Brunswick provincial by-election, April 24, 2023: Bathurst East-Nepisiguit-Saint-Isidore
Resignation of Denis Landry to run for mayor of Hautes-Terres
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Susan Holt 2,343 58.85 -4.91
Green Serge Brideau 1,411 35.44 +23.22
New Democratic Alex White 227 5.70
Total valid votes 3,981 99.30
Total rejected ballots 28 0.70 +0.29
Turnout 4,009 37.59 -23.01
Eligible voters 10,666
Liberal hold Swing -14.06
Source: Elections New Brunswick[33]

Fredericton South

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2018 New Brunswick general election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green David Coon 4,273 56.31 +25.63
Liberal Susan Holt 1,525 20.10 -1.52
Progressive Conservative Scott Smith 1,042 13.73 -12.44
People's Alliance Bonnie Clark 616 8.12 --
New Democratic Chris Durrant 132 1.74 -18.04
Total valid votes 7,588 100.0  
Total rejected ballots
Turnout
Eligible voters
Green hold Swing +13.6
Source: Elections New Brunswick[34]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  2. ^ "Susan Holt elected as New Brunswick Liberal leader". CBC News New Brunswick, August 6, 2022.
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  10. ^ a b Jacques Poitras, "Tech executive, former adviser to Brian Gallant running for Liberal leadership". CBC News New Brunswick, February 14, 2022.
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  14. ^ Laura Brown, "Long-time Liberal MLA offers up seat to new Liberal leader Susan Holt". CTV Atlantic, August 7, 2022.
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