Megan Mitton set to lead N.B. Greens: what could change?
With the 2028 provincial election approaching, Mitton’s leadership could reshape how the Green Party approaches climate change, health care and economic justice.
Megan Mitton is set to become the next leader of New Brunswick’s Green Party, bringing a new face to a party led by David Coon for 14 years.
Mitton, the MLA for Tantramar, is the only registered candidate in the party’s 2026 leadership contest. She is expected to be ratified at the party’s leadership convention in Fredericton on Dec. 5.
Her leadership comes less than two years before the next provincial election, raising questions about whether the Greens will maintain their existing priorities or change how they present their policies to New Brunswickers.
“I’m even more certain now than when I was elected as MLA eight years ago that we need deep change in New Brunswick,” Mitton said in a statement announcing her candidacy.
Mitton was first elected in 2018 and has represented Tantramar through three elections. Before entering provincial politics, she spent a decade working in the non-profit sector and served as a Sackville town councillor.
Her leadership priorities include climate change, energy solutions, health care and social and economic justice. How she turns those commitments into specific policies will help define the party’s direction ahead of 2028.
Building on Coon’s legacy
Coon announced in June that he would step down after leading the party since 2012. During his tenure, the Greens established a presence in the legislature and became a more prominent voice in provincial politics.
In the 2024 election, the party received 51,558 votes, representing approximately 13.7 per cent of the popular vote. That was down from 15.2 per cent in 2020.
Coon said his decision would give his successor time to prepare for the next campaign.
“I want to make sure that the new leader has a runway of two years or so to introduce themselves to New Brunswickers and to prepare for the election in 2028,” he told Global News in June.
He also expressed confidence that new leadership could bring more support to the party, saying it was time “to freshen things up.”
Mitton will inherit that challenge while establishing her own identity as a leader.
Climate, health care and affordability
Climate policy could become a defining issue under Mitton. In September, she criticized the Liberal government’s consideration of lifting the moratorium on shale gas fracking and its approval of a gas and diesel plant in her riding.
Her position could put the Greens in direct opposition to the Liberals on energy development, while allowing Mitton to outline alternatives.
Health care and affordability are also likely to feature in the party’s priorities. However, the specific proposals Mitton will pursue as leader have yet to be fully established.
The challenge will be explaining how Green policies would address residents’ concerns while distinguishing the party from the Liberals and Progressive Conservatives.
An uncontested race
Mitton’s leadership bid is uncontested after the party confirmed her as the sole registered candidate in late September. The party initially opened applications on Aug. 4, with a Sept. 12 deadline.
Without competing candidates, the contest has not featured an extended public debate over different visions for the party.
The December convention will formally conclude the leadership process, but the larger test will come as the Greens prepare for 2028.
Mitton’s statements, policy announcements and work in the legislature will offer a clearer picture of whether her leadership brings a significant change in direction or builds on Coon’s legacy.
For New Brunswick voters, the transition will matter most through the policies the party proposes and the alternatives it offers on issues affecting their communities.
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