User:Mr Serjeant Buzfuz/Electoral history of Allan Blakeney



This article is the Electoral history of Allan Blakeney, the tenth Premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. He served from 1971 to 1982. He led the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) in five general elections, in 1971, 1975, 1978, 1982, and 1986. He was the first of three NDP premiers to date.

Blakeney was successful in his first three elections as leader, winning majority governments each time. He was defeated in the general election of 1982 by Grant Devine and the Progressive Conservative Party and resigned as Premier, becoming Leader of the Opposition. Blakeney led the NDP in the 1986 general election, but was again defeated by Premier Devine and the Progressive Conservatives. He resigned as leader of the NDP in 1988 and retired from politics.

Summary
Blakeney was the third-longest serving Premier of the fifteen Premiers of Saskatchewan. He was in office from June 30, 1971 to May 8, 1982, for a total of.

Blakeney led the New Democratic Party in five provincial general elections: 1971, 1975, 1978, 1982, and 1986. He won his first election as leader, in 1971, defeating Ross Thatcher, who resigned as Premier and was succeeded by Blakeney. As Premier, Blakeney also won majority governments in the next two elections. Blakeney is one of only four premiers of Saskatchewan who won three or more majority governments, the others being Walter Scott, Tommy Douglas, and Brad Wall.

He was defeated by Grant Devine and the Progressive Conservatives in the 1982 general election. Blakeney resigned as Premier and became the Leader of the Opposition. He led the NDP in the 1986 election but was again defeated by Devine. Although he was personally re-elected to his seat, he resigned as leader of the NDP and Leader of the Opposition in 1988 and retired from politics.

Blakeney stood for election eight times, in various constituencies for the city of Regina. He was elected all eight times.

Blakeney was the Minister of Education in Premier Tommy Douglas's Cabinet for one year, from 1960 to 1961. He was the Provincial Treasurer in Premier Woodrow Lloyd's government (1961-1962), and then the Minister of Public Health (1962-1964). As health minister, Blakeney was charged with implementing the CCF medicare plan.

Saskatchewan general elections, 1971 to 1986
Blakeney led the NDP in five general elections: 1971, 1975, 1978, 1982, and 1986. He won his first three elections with majority governments, but lost the last two elections.

1971 General election
In the 1971 election, Blakeney led the NDP against Premier Thatcher and the Liberals. He won a majority government, the first for the NDP, the successor to the CCF. Thatcher died a month after the election.

1 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Premier when election was called; died a month after the election. 3 Rounds to zero. 4 Rounding error.

1975 General election
In the 1975 election, Blakeney led the NDP to another majority government, this time against Davey Steuart, the new leader of the Liberals, who came in second. The new leader of the Progressive Conservatives, Dick Collver, led the party to seven seats, their best showing since 1929.

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; resigned after the election.

1978 General election
In the 1978 election, Blakeney led the NDP to another majority government. The Progressive Conservatives under Collver came in second place and formed the Official Opposition. The Liberals under their new leader, Ted Malone, did not win a seat.

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Co-Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after the election. 3 Co-Leader of the Opposition when election was called; not a Member of the Legislative Assembly after the election. 4 Rounds to zero.

1982 General election
In the 1982 election, Blakeney and the NDP were defeated by the Progressive Conservatives under their new leader, Grant Devine. The NDP were reduced from majority government to a nine member Opposition, one of the worst defeats of a government in Saskatchewan history.

1 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Premier when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after the election.

1986 General election
In the 1986 election, Blakeney again led the NDP. Although the NDP won a plurality of votes overall and substantially increased their number of seats, Premier Devine and the Progressive Conservatives won a majority of the seats in the Legislative Assembly. Blakeney was personally re-elected, but in 1988 he resigned as Leader of the Opposition and retired from politics.

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election. 2 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after the election. 3 Rounds to zero. 4 Rounding error.

Saskatchewan constituency elections
Blakeney stood for election to the Legislative Assembly in eight general elections, all in the city of Regina, which went through various electoral re-distributions during this period. He was elected in all eight elections, from 1960 to 1986.

1960 General election: Regina City
Elected. X Incumbent.

1964 General election: Regina West
Elected. X Incumbent.

1967 General election: Regina Centre
Elected. X Incumbent.

1971 General election: Regina Centre
Elected. X Incumbent.

1975 General election: Regina Elphinstone
Elected. X Incumbent.

1978 General election: Regina Elphinstone
Elected. X Incumbent.

1982 General election: Regina Elphinstone
Elected. X Incumbent.

1986 General election: Regina Elphinstone
Elected. X Incumbent.

1970 NDP Leadership election
When Woodrow Lloyd retired as leader, the NDP held a leadership convention in 1970. Blakeney trailed Roy Romanow on the first two ballots, but won on the third ballot.

1 Rounding error.