User:Mr Serjeant Buzfuz/Electoral history of Gédéon Ouimet



This article is the Electoral history of Gédéon Ouimet, the second Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec. He served from 1873 to 1874.

Ouimet served in the Cabinet of Premier Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau from 1867 to 1873, and succeeded Chauveau as Premier when Chauveau was appointed to the Senate of Canada. Although Ouimet was premier and leader of the Quebec Conservative party, he did not lead the party in a general election, resigning after less than two years in office. He was the second of eight Conservative premiers.

Ouimet was elected to the Legislative Assembly, the lower chamber of the Legislature of Quebec, three times. He was later appointed to the Legislative Council, the upper chamber of the Legislature, serving until his death in 1905.

Prior to Confederation, Ouimet served a term as mayor of Vaudreuil and one term in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada, from 1857 to 1861.

Summary


Ouimet ranks twenty-fourth out of thirty-two premiers of Quebec for time in office, serving from February 27, 1873 to September 22, 1874. He was in office for a total of.

Ouimet began his political career as mayor of Vaudreuil, from 1852 to 1854. He was then elected for one term to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada as a Bleu, in the general election of 1857, for the riding of Beauharnois. He was defeated in the election of 1861.

Upon Confederation in 1867 and the creation of the province of Quebec, Ouimet stood for election to the Legislative Assembly of the Legislature of Quebec for the riding of Deux-Montagnes, as a Conservative. He was elected by acclamation in 1867 and re-elected in the general election of 1871. He served in the Cabinet of Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau as Attorney General of Quebec from 1867 to 1873.

Ouimet became premier in February 1873, when Chauveau was appointed to the Senate of Canada and resigned as premier. Ouimet was chosen leader by the Conservative caucus and automatically became premier. He only held the position until September, 1874, because of the Tanneries scandal, which implicated the government in a dubious land transaction.

Although he resigned as premier and Conservative leader, Ouimet retained his seat in the Legislative Assembly. He was elected a third time, again by acclamation, in the general election of 1875. He resigned his seat in 1876 to take the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction, a position he held until 1895, when he was appointed to the Legislative Council of Quebec. He remained a member of the Legislative Council until his death in 1905.

Quebec constituency elections, 1867 to 1875
Ouimet stood for election to the Legislative Assembly three times, in the riding of Deux-Montagnes. He was elected all three times, twice by acclamation.

1867 General election: Deux-Montagnes
Elected.

1871 General election: Deux-Montagnes
Elected. X Incumbent.

1875 General election: Deux-Montagnes
Elected. X Incumbent.

Legislative Council, 1895 to 1905
In 1895, the provincial government appointed Ouimet to the Legislative Council of Quebec, for the division of Rougemont. He held the position until his death in 1905.

Pre-Confederation: Province of Canada
Prior to Confederation, Ouimet served one term in the Legislative Assembly of the Parliament of the Province of Canada. He was elected in the election of 1857 for the riding of Beauharnois, but was defeated in the election of 1861 by Paul Denis.