The
2023 Continental Congress election was held between 5 and 11 July 2023 to elect members of the 16th Continental Congress. The All-America People's Congress won the most seats for the third straight election, and formed their first government since the 2007 election. Saul Levin of New York became the new President of the Congress.
After eight years of Whig government in Congress, the resurgence of the AAPC was presaged by the victory of socialist and left-wing governments in national elections in the preceding years. By the time of the 2023 election, 10 of the 22 national governments were held by the left-wing party of their nations. However, the People's Congress remained in a leadership crisis, with six different acting and permanent leaders between 2015 and 2021. Finally, New York Counselor of Labor Relations Saul Levin was dispatched by Director General Charles Schumer to continental government, standing in a Brooklyn by-election so that he could contest the leadership of the People's Congress. Levin proved to be an effective and popular leader and was able to rally the Congress back to a polling lead. Levin also formed an electoral pact with the Catholic Workers Federation to not contest the same seats in Mexico and the United Provinces in order to avoid vote splitting.
The current governing coalition between the Whigs and Liberal Conservatives was widely predicted to lose seats. The steady loss of strength from by-elections combined with the succession of popular president Shaun Donovan by less popular Minister of the Economy Sylvia Mathews in 2021 damaged relations between the two parties. The Liberal Conservatives were against Mathews's leadership, which was why Donovan originally became President in 2015. Despite the consternation of her membership, LC leader Lisa Raitt confirmed that the Alliance would remain in government with the Whigs for the duration of the 15th Congress. The decision at the top did not translate downward, and local and national parties campaigned against the Whigs in 2023.
Although Congress was formally dissolved on America Day, campaigning went on for several months prior. The election period was not dominated by any single issue, such as the economy, military intervention, or continental unity as in previous elections, but instead by numerous issues which varied by nation. Anticontinentalism was at an all time low, according to polls, and the political parties were focusing on local issues. Southern nations were primarily concerned by Mexico's recovery from its recent civil war. Parties in that region were divided on more or less support for their neighbor. Eastern and western nations argued over American involvement overseas, particularly in Africa, where the Black Wave of religious nationalism was overturning socialist governments by both democratic and nondemocratic means.
Another recurring issue was Carolina's hostile militarism and antidemocratic practices. Although this had been a critical issues in the 2010s, reformist moves made by the Caroline government had allayed the concerns of other nations. However, the 2020 death of Elizabeth Saunders, a Canadian journalist and Continental elections monitor, in a motorway crash sparked outrage amid cries of foul play. The Milburn Report released in 2022 absolved the Caroline government and military of blame and concluded that the crash was an honest accident. Nevertheless, the controversy and ongoing investigation led to a decline in support for Carolina's Democratic Party in other nations.
The People's Congress made the most gains in the 2023 election, winning seats directly from the Whigs and Liberal Conservative. The small parties all gained seats except for the Democratic Party, although most of their gains were from overhang seats added to correct proportionality. The Boston Tea Party picked up three seats in New England and won the most seats in that country, becoming the smallest party to have the most seats in a country. 15 seats were won by independent candidates and fringe and unassociated parties. No parties changed in standing.
A relatively low turnout affair, the counting of votes concluded on 17 July and Secretary General Lewis Alcindor called Saul Levin to Kansasburg to form a government that day. Due to the results, the Whig-LCA coalition was at an end and the People's Congress were the favorites to form a government. Levin became the fifth modern president from New York. The People's Congress successfully negotiated with the FTC and PMG to form a functioning minority coalition, which was announced on 20 July. The coalition had 277 seats, one short of a majority, but was expected to be assisted by individual members of other parties. The Council of the Heads of Government approved the government on 24 July.
This was the last election for many alliance leaders. Sylvia Mathews, Lisa Raitt, Philippe de Villier, and Allen West all stood down as leader shortfly after the election. In a surprise, Democratic Party leader David Ralston died on 31 July, the day before the new Congress assembled to meet, triggering a by-election and leadership election.
Alliances and parties winning multiple seats at the 2023 Continental Congress election:
- All America People's Congress (Congreso del Pueblo Toda America/Congress Populaire Tout l'Amérique)
- The Continental Whigs (Los Whigs Continental/Les Whigs Continental)
- Liberal Conservative Alliance (Alianza Liberal Conservador/Alliance Libérale Conservateur)
- Catholic Workers Federation (Federacion de los Trabajadores Catholicos/Fédération des Travailleurs Catholiques)
- Democratic Party
- Progressive Modernist Group (Grupo Modernista Progresista/Groupe Moderniste Progresiste)
- Sovereigntist Bloc (Bloque Soberanista/Bloc Sovereigntiste)
- American Brotherhood (Hermandad Americana/Fraternité Américaine)
- Boston Tea Party
