David Coon announced on Thursday that after 14 years as the leader of the New Brunswick Green Party, he is stepping down.
“It has been such an honour to serve New Brunswickers as the leader of the Green Party,” said Coon. “I entered politics 14 years ago with the goal of bringing the concerns of everyday New Brunswickers to the floor of the Legislative Assembly and bringing a Green perspective to solving our province’s biggest issues.”
Coon says he will remain as leader until the party holds a leadership convention to choose his successor. He will also continue to serve the people of Fredericton Lincoln in his role as MLA until the next election.
“It’s time for a new leader before the next election. I want to make sure they have close to two years to prepare the Party for its next electoral breakthrough. With the Greens firmly woven into the body politic of our province, it’s time for a new leader who will grow our party’s electoral success to the point where more New Brunswickers will see our party as one that is capable of winning provincial elections,” Green added during his announcement in Fredericton today.
According to a news release, the Green Party has grown its popular vote by 200 per cent between the 2010 and 2024 elections, while Coon was the leader.
In 2014, he became the first elected Green in Canada outside of British Columbia. Under his leadership, two more Green MLAs, Megan Mitton and Kevin Arseneau, were elected in New Brunswick.
More than 50,000 New Brunswickers voted Green in each of the past two elections.
“David has given so much to this Party and to New Brunswick since 2012,” said Executive Director of the Green Party of New Brunswick, Genevieve MacRae. “Through his integrity, compassion and unwavering commitment to doing politics differently, he has helped build something truly special. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and for the strong foundation he has created for the future.”
An announcement from the New Brunswick Green Party about a leadership convention is expected in the coming weeks.
