Alberta Liberal Party leadership election, 2008

Last updated
Alberta Liberal Party leadership election, 2008
Flag of Alberta.svg
  2004 December 12, 2008 2011  

  David Swann - April 12, 2010.jpg MLA Dave Taylor in 2011.jpg
Candidate David Swann Dave Taylor Mo Elsalhy
Party Liberal Liberal Liberal
Popular vote2,4681,616491
Percentage54.0%35.3%10.7%

Leader before election

Kevin Taft

Elected Leader

David Swann

Alberta Liberal Party leadership election, 2008
Date December 12, 2008
Resigning leader Kevin Taft
Won by David Swann
Ballots 1
Candidates 3
Alberta Liberal Party leadership elections
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The 2008 Alberta Liberal leadership election was held on December 12, 2008, to select a leader of the Alberta Liberal Party. [1] Incumbent leader Kevin Taft announced his resignation June 2008, in the wake of the March provincial election in which the Liberals lost seven of their sixteen seats. [2]

The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1905, it was the dominant political party until the 1921 election, with the first three provincial Premiers being Liberals. Since 1921, it has formed the official opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta several times, most recently from 1993 until 2012. Fourteen Liberals have served as Leader of the Opposition of Alberta.

Kevin Taft Canadian politician

Kevin Taft is a best-selling author, consultant, speaker, and former provincial politician in Alberta, Canada. Prior to his election, he worked in various public policy roles (1973-2000) in the Alberta Government, private and non-profit sectors, in the areas of health, energy, and economic policy. From 1986 to 1991 he was CEO of the ExTerra Foundation, which mounted one of history's largest paleontological expeditions in China's Gobi Desert, Alberta's badlands, and the Canadian Arctic. He is the author of five books and many research studies and articles on political and economic issues in Alberta. In the mid-late 1990s Dr. Taft wrote two books critical of the ruling Progressive Conservative party, causing the Premier of the time to insult him in the Legislature and solidifying Taft's desire to run for office to defend his perspective on public policy. He was an Alberta Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 2001 to 2012, and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2004 to 2008. Taft continues his career as an author, speaker, and consultant. He is father to two adult sons and currently resides in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with his partner Jeanette Boman.

Contents

Candidates

Candidates had until September 30 to file nomination papers. [1] Three candidates announced their intentions to run:

Mo Elsalhy is a politician and pharmacist from Alberta, Canada.

Legislative Assembly of Alberta Single house of Legislature of Alberta

The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton. The Legislative Assembly consists of 87 members, elected first past the post from single-member electoral districts.

David Xiao Canadian politician

David Hui Xiao is a Canadian businessman and politician. From 2008 to 2015 he was Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the constituency of Edmonton-McClung as a Progressive Conservative.

Declined

Hugh MacDonald, Edmonton-Gold Bar MLA since 1997, was at one time considering a candidacy. [3] Laurie Blakeman, MLA for Edmonton Centre since 1997 and Liberal House Leader, had been widely expected to run but in August announced that she would not do so, citing the financial cost of a candidacy. She said that she would not be endorsing a candidate. [4] Other Liberals to publicly decline to run included Calgary mayor Dave Bronconnier and former Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan, both of whom announced their intentions immediately following Taft's resignation, [5] and former Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Rick Miller, who expressed concern that, with the next provincial election presumably so far off, he wouldn't have a seat in the legislature for three and a half years after being elected leader. [3]

Hugh MacDonald (politician) Canadian politician

Hugh MacDonald is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Edmonton-Gold Bar in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. He is a member of the Alberta Liberal Party. On September 27, 2011, he announced he would not seek re-election.

Edmonton-Gold Bar

Edmonton-Gold Bar is a provincial electoral district, in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 87 in the province mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting.

Laurie Blakeman Canadian politician

Laurie Blakeman is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Edmonton-Centre in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. She is a member of the Alberta Liberal Party, and was first elected in the 1997 election.

Results

David Swann was elected leader of the Alberta Liberal Party on the first ballot, receiving more than half of the total votes cast. [6]

David Swann Canadian politician

David Richard Swann, is a medical doctor and Canadian politician. He currently serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Mountain View, and is a member of the Liberal Party. He was the leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and Leader of the Opposition in the Alberta Legislature from December 2008 until resigning as party leader in September 2011. He returned as interim leader of the Alberta Liberal Party on February 1, 2015, following the resignation of Raj Sherman and led the party through the 2015 provincial election.

CandidateVotesPercentage
Swann2,46854.0%
Taylor1,61635.3%
Elsalhy49110.7%
Total4,575100.0%

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Fekete, Jason (August 21, 2008). "Swann dives into Grit race". Calgary Herald . Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  2. 1 2 3 Nease, Kristy (August 12, 2008). "Liberal candidate's plane problems scuttles McMurray trip". Fort McMurray Today. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  3. 1 2 Fekete, Jason (August 19, 2008). "Liberals to reveal leadership intentions". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  4. Beauchesne, Erika (August 19, 2008). "Blakeman decides not to run for Liberal leadership". Edmonton Journal . Archived from the original on August 27, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  5. McLean, Archie (June 27, 2008). "Four MLAs throw hats in Liberal ring". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
  6. "New Alberta Liberal leader promises change to rescue ailing party". The Canadian Press. December 13, 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-13.