Voters across the Isle of Man delivered a series of striking upsets in the 2026 general election, unseating several prominent figures and reshaping the political landscape of the House of Keys. Early results from the first seven constituencies to declare revealed that three former government ministers failed to retain their positions.
Among the high-profile casualties were former health minister Lawrie Hooper, former infrastructure minister Michelle Haywood, and former education minister Julie Edge. The ballot features a total of 82 candidates vying for 24 seats in the parliament. Exit surveys and early tallies suggest that as many as seven incumbent Members of the House of Keys could ultimately lose their places.
In Douglas Central, political veteran Ann Corlett was unseated after a decade of service following a strong challenge from Peter Shimmin, who topped the local poll, and Chris Thomas. Reflecting on her defeat, Corlett admitted to feeling a mixture of disappointment and relief after ten years in public office.
Meanwhile, fresh faces made significant gains across the island. In Ramsey, former commissioners Juan McGuinness and Robert Cowell secured both available seats, edging out outgoing MHK Lawrie Hooper. McGuinness led the local vote count, while Cowell expressed deep gratitude to the electorate following his successful campaign. Hooper accepted his departure graciously, noting that he plans to return to his previous profession as a chartered accountant.
In the Middle constituency, Deputy Chief Minister Jane Poole-Wilson comfortably topped the local poll alongside candidate James Cochrane. Poole-Wilson expressed gratitude for the opportunity to continue serving her constituents, while Cochrane celebrated a hard-fought campaign.
Voters in Onchan opted for change by replacing outgoing education minister Julie Edge with scientist Rachel Glover, while incumbent Rob Callister successfully defended his seat. Edge stated that she had worked tirelessly for her community during her tenure and intends to maintain her advocacy for whistleblowing initiatives.
In Rushen, Michael Crowe and Mark Kemp captured the two available seats, unseating Michelle Haywood. Kemp suggested that voters were eager for a change in direction and emphasized a need to focus on economic diversification moving forward.
Other races saw incumbents successfully defend their territory. Sarah Maltby and Claire Christian both retained their seats in Douglas South, with Christian expressing her delight at the strong electoral support. In Douglas North, David Ashford and Damian Ciappelli secured victory, with Ciappelli eager to begin legislative work.
As counting continues across the remaining constituencies, political analysts are monitoring the full extent of the turnover. The exit polls indicate that additional ministers from the outgoing administration, including environment, education, and enterprise portfolio holders, may also be displaced by the final count.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC News. Read the original report at BBC News.
