The 1885 Newfoundland general election was held on October 31, 1885 to elect members of the 15th General Assembly of Newfoundland in the Newfoundland Colony. The denominationally unified Whiteway government had fallen as supporters of the Orange Order abandoned him following the Harbour Grace Affray. Members of the opposition New Party aligned themselves with Protestant members of Whiteway's administration to create the Reform Party. Led by Robert Thorburn, a former member of the Legislative Council, the Reform Party ran on a platform of "Protestant rights." The Roman Catholic caucus within Whiteway's administration formed the Liberal led by Ambrose Shea, who had also turned against the Whiteway government. Many candidates who continued to support Whiteway ran as independents, which provided the opposition in some of the most denominationally skewed districts. Thorburn's new party swept to power, but it soon turned away from its sectarian agenda by inviting Catholic Liberals into the Executive Council.
|- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|St. John's East || |Robert Kent<br>1,738<br>28.70% | |Robert Parsons Jr. (Independent)<br>635<br>10.49% || |Robert Kent |- || |Ambrose Shea<br>1,711<br>28.26% | |John Dearin (Independent)<br>437<br>7.22% || |John Dearin |- || |Michael O'Mara<br>1,498<br>24.74% | |Thomas Mitchell (Independent)<br>36<br>0.59% || |Robert Parsons Jr. |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|St. John's West || |Patrick Scott<br>1,250<br>26.44% |rowspan=3 | |rowspan=3|Edward Morris (Independent)<br>1,651<br>34.92% || |Patrick Scott |- || |James Callanan<br>1,013<br>21.43% || |Philip Whiteâ |- | |James Furlong<br>814<br>17.22% || |James Callanan
|- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Bay de Verde || |Stephen March<br>850<br>40.81% | | | |Levi Garland (Independent)<br>350<br>16.80% || |Levi Garland |- || |A. J. W. McNeilly<br>765<br>36.73% | | | |Beverly Somerville (Independent)<br>118<br>5.66% || |New seat |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Carbonear || |Alfred Penney<br>Won by acclamation | | | | || |Alfred Penney |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Harbour Grace || |James Winter<br>1,183<br>31.33% | | | |Joseph Russell (Independent)<br>276<br>7.31% || |Ambrose Sheaâ¡<br><small>(ran in St. John's East)</small> |- || |Charles Dawe<br>1,077<br>28.52% | | |rowspan=2| |rowspan=2|William Butt (Independent)<br>232<br>6.14% || |Charles Dawe |- || |Joseph Godden<br>1,008<br>26.69% | | || |New seat |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Harbour Main | | || |John Veitch<br>711<br>42.91% |rowspan=2| |rowspan=2|Thomas Murphy (Independent)<br>291<br>17.56% || |Joseph Littleâ |- | | || |Richard MacDonnell<br>655<br>39.53% || |Richard MacDonnell |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Port de Grave || |George Hutchings<br>Won by acclamation | | | | || |John BartlettâÂÂ
|- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Ferryland | | || |Daniel Greene<br>Won by acclamation || |Daniel Greene |- | | || |George Shea<br>Won by acclamation || |Augustus Goodridgeâ¡<br><small>(ran in Twillingate)</small> |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Placentia and St. Mary's |rowspan=3| |rowspan=3|William Siteman<br>504<br>16.27% || |James McGrath<br>940<br>30.35% || |William Donnelly |- || |William Donnelly<br>922<br>29.77% || |Albert Bradshawâ¡<br><small>(ran in St. Barbe)</small> |- || |George Emerson<br>731<br>23.60% || |Michael TobinâÂÂ
|- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Bonavista Bay || |James Noonan<br>1,064<br>23.88% | |George Skelton (Independent)<br>770<br>17.28% || |James Noonan |- || |Abram Kean<br>957<br>21.48% |rowspan=2| |rowspan=2|Alfred Morine (Independent)<br>724<br>16.25% || |George Skelton |- || |Frederick White<br>941<br>21.12% || |Francis Wintonâ |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Trinity Bay || |Robert Thorburn<br>Won by acclamation | | || |William Whitewayâ |- || |Walter Grieve<br>Won by acclamation | | || |Joseph Boydâ |- || |Ellis Watson<br>Won by acclamation | | || |Robert Bondâ¡<br><small>(ran in Fortune Bay)</small> |-
|- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Fogo || |James Rolls<br>Won by acclamation | | || |New district |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=3|Twillingate || |Augustus Goodridge<br>1,095<br>32.78% |rowspan=3| |rowspan=3|Jabez Thompson (Independent)<br>577<br>17.28% || |Smith McKay<br><small>Twillingate and Fogo</small> |- || |Smith McKay<br>1,058<br>31.68% || |Richard Riceâ <br><small>Twillingate and Fogo</small> |- || |Michael Knight<br>610<br>18.26% || |Jabez Thompson<br><small>Twillingate and Fogo</small>
|- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Burgeo and LaPoile || |Alexander Mackay<br>Won by acclamation | | | | || |Alexander Mackay |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke rowspan=2|Burin || |John Peters<br>574<br>38.01% | | |rowspan=2| |rowspan=2|J. Brien (Independent)<br>409<br>27.09% || |James Winterâ¡<br><small>(ran in Harbour Grace)</small> |- || |Henry LeMessurier<br>527<br>34.90% | | || |John Peters |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|Fortune Bay | | | | || |Robert Bond (Independent)<br>Won by acclamation || |James Fraserâ |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|St. Barbe || |Albert Bradshaw<br>Won by acclamation | | | | || |Vacant<br><small>White Bay</small> |- |bgcolor=whitesmoke|St. George's | | || |Michael Carty<br>Won by acclamation | | || |Michael Carty |-