John Main selected as Nunavut’s premier, marking territory’s first non-Inuk leader

The floor of the Nunavut Legislature is shown in Iqaluit on June 1, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Geordon Omand

John Main was selected as Nunavut’s next premier on Tuesday, marking the first time Nunavut will have a non-Inuk leader.

Main, a third-term MLA who speaks fluent Inuktitut and served as Nunavut’s health minister in the previous assembly, beat out David Akeeagok for the position in a secret ballot vote in Nunavut’s Legislature.

“I will work to the best of my ability and work hard,” Main said, translated from Inuktitut, in a brief victory speech in the House.

Main, who is from Arviat — one of Nunavut’s larger communities with about 3,000 people along the shores west of Hudson’s Bay — is only the second premier to hail from the Kivalliq region of central Nunavut. Joe Savikataaq, also from Arviat, led the territory from 2018 to 2021.

Nunavut functions in a consensus style government, in which there are no political parties. After electing their premier, MLAs will then choose up to eight cabinet ministers among themselves, with the remaining MLAs effectively serving as an opposition group to the government.

In his first term as a regular-sitting MLA, Main was one of the more vocal members of the Assembly to press the government, also serving as the chair of the regular members caucus.

Following his re-election in 2021, Main was selected to cabinet and given the health portfolio. He held the file throughout his whole four-year term, in a cabinet which saw frequent portfolio shuffles amid a flurry of cabinet resignations under outgoing Premier P.J. Akeeagok’s leadership.

During a question-and-answer portion of Tuesday’s leadership forum, Main was asked simply why MLAs should vote for him.

“I’ve spent four years on this side of the house, four years on that side of the house, and the next four years has to be all about collaboration in this house between members, but also with organizations outside of this House,” Main said.

“That’s the thing I’m the most proud of as a minister has been building partnerships, and I think that’s probably the biggest thing I bring to the table with this job.”

Former cabinet minister David Joanasie was elected Speaker earlier Tuesday.

Nunavummiut went to the polls on Oct. 27 in an election that saw the lowest voter turnout in the territory’s history.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 18, 2025.