Nova Scotia's New Democrats elect Gary Burrill as new leader

Gary Burrill has won the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party leadership vote and he's vowed to take the party back to itsroots in hopes of regainingpower.

"There's been a real deep sense that the party needs to make a turn in the direction of what I've referred to as social economic and environmental justice," hetold reporters at his first news conference as leader.

Burrill is a60-year-old United Church minister and a former MLA for Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley. He was one of 24 New Democrats to lose their seats in the last election.

Burrillwon on asecond ballot after none of the three candidatesreceived a majority of votes in the first.

59 per cent of votes

During that first round of votes,Burrillreceived 921 votes, LenoreZannpicked up 705 and DaveWilson pickedup 645.

That locked Wilson out of the race and forced a redistribution of his second-place choices. Burrillreceived66per cent of those votes, pushing him to 59 per cent of the overall vote and victory.

The final tally leftZannwith926 votes toBurrill's1,343.

Burrill'spriorities

Burrillwill have to lead the party from outside the legislature, the way former leader HelenMacDonalddid the nine months she was in the job,between July 2000 and April 2001.

MacDonaldtried and failed to win a seat in a by-election. Her third place finish was followed by a caucus revolt that led to her resignation.

Burrillsays heis inno hurry to test the electorate in similar fashion. Although he suggests there may be no need to given a general election is not that far off.

"We're only just a few monthsfrom being in a general election."

Burrillsaid his immediate focus will be on rebuilding the party's grassroots.

Votes sent message

Burrill'stwo competitors in the race to replace former premierDarrellDexter as the permanent leader of the Nova Scotia NDP are sittingMLAsand they had a different view of what the vote meant.

Zann saw it as the rank and file of the party passing judgement on the Dexter years.

"Dave was in the cabinet and he was very close with Darrell and he's in that same circle," she said."So this way it's somebody completely outside that circle and that sends a big message."

• Nova Scotia NDP unity key in leadership vote, says Graham Steele

That's not the way Wilson saw it, when asked if this was a message aimed at the government he was part of.

"No not at all. Actually I see the opposite," he said. "I see a party that after a devastating loss in 2013 come together just two short years."

Voter turnout 74.2%

All three contenders delivered their last campaign speeches Saturday morning at the party's leadership convention in Dartmouth. Each took a different tack in trying to sway the few members who had not yet cast a ballot.

Burrillgarnered the most spontaneous applause for his speech in which he attacked liberal leader StephenMcNeiland the PC's JamieBaillie.

"JamieBaillie, StephenMcNeil the whole works of them are economic mastodons,"Burrillsaid.

Voter turnout was 74.2 per cent, which the party says is a record for electronic voting in Canada. Results of the second ballot victory were announced at 2:30 p.m.

CBC'sJeanLarochelivebloggedthrough the day