User:Mr Serjeant Buzfuz/Electoral history of Grant Devine

This article is the Electoral history of Grant Devine, the eleventh Premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. He served from 1982 to 1991, and led the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan (PCs) in three general elections, in 1982, 1986, and 1991. He was the second Conservative premier of the Province, the first Conservative to win a majority government, and the first Conservative to win two general elections.

Devine defeated Premier Allan Blakeney, leader of the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP), in the 1982 election, and became Premier. In the 1986 election, he again defeated Blakeney, who then retired from politics. Devine was defeated in his third general election (1991) by the new leader of the NDP, Roy Romanow. He resigned as premier and later as leader of the PC party.

Summary
Devine was the fith-longest serving Premier of the fifteen Premiers of Saskatchewan. He was in office from May 8, 1982 to November 1, 1991, for a total of 22 years, 338 days.

Devine led the Progressive Conservative Party of Saskatchewan (PCs) in three provincial general elections: 1982, 1986, and 1991. He won his first election as leader with a majority government in 1982, defeating Premier Allan Blakeney, who resigned as Premier and became Leader of the Opposition. The victory by Devine and the PCs, with a large majority in the Legislature, was said to be the greatest election upset in the province's history.

As Premier, Devine also won a majority government in the next election in 1986, again defeating Blakeney, who then retired from politics. In the 1991 general election, Devine was defeated by Roy Romanow, the new leader of the NDP, but was re-elected in his own seat. Devine resigned as Premier and became the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly for a year, before retiring from provincial politics.

Devine stood for election to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan on five occasions (1978, 1980 (by-election), 1982, 1986 and 1991), in two different ridings (Saskatoon Nutana and Estevan). He was defeated in his first two attempts, but then was elected in the next three general elections (1982, 1986 and 1991).

Some years after he retired from provincial politics, Devine sought the nomination for the federal Conservative Party in the general election of 2004, in the federal riding of Souris—Moose Mountain, which included his former provincial constituency of Estevan. Although he had local support, the Conservative Party refused to allow him to contest the nomination. Instead, Devine ran as an independent, coming in second in a field of six candidates.

Devine had been elected to the leadership of the Saskatchewan PC Party in the convention of ##, winning on the ## ballot. Following his resignation as leader in 1992, he was succeeded as party leader by Rick Swenson.

Saskatchewan general elections, 1982 to 1991
Devine led the PCs in three general elections: 1982, 1986, and 1991. He won his first two elections with majority governments, but lost the last election and eventually retired from provincial politics.

1982 General election
In the 1982 election, Devine led the PCs to a major victory, defeating Premier Allan Blakeney and the NDP. The PCs won fifty-five of the seats in the sixty-four seat Legislative Assembly, with the NDP reduced from majority government to a nine member Opposition. It was one of the strongest victories 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
Premier Devine again led the Progressive Conservatives in the 1986 election, again facing Blakeney as leader of the NDP. Devine and the PCs won a majority of the seats in the Legislative Assembly, although the NDP won a plurality of votes overall and substantially increased their number of seats.

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.

1991 General election
Premier Devine again led the Progressive Conservatives in the 1991 election, this time facing the new leader of the NDP, Roy Romanow. Devine and the PCs were badly defeated, winning only ten seats in the sixty-six seat Legislative Assembly. Devine resigned as Premier and became Leader of the Opposition.

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. 3 Rounds to zero. 4 Rounding error.

Saskatchewan constituency elections, 1978 to 1991
Devine stood for election to the Legislative Assembly in four general elections and one by-election, in two different ridings: Saskatoon Nutana and Estevan. He was defeated in his first two attempts, in 1978 and 1980, but elected in the next three elections, in 1982, 1986, and 1991.

1978 General election: Saskatoon Nutana
Elected. X Incumbent.

1980 By-election: Estevan
Elected.

1982 General election: Estevan
Elected. X Incumbent.

1986 General election: Estevan
Elected. X Incumbent.

1991 General election: Estevan
Elected. X Incumbent.

Federal constituency election, 2004
Devine stood for election to the House of Common once, in the federal riding which included his old provincial riding of Estevan. Denied the nomination by the Conservative Party of Canada, he ran as an independent, coming in second.

Elected.

Progressive Conservative leadership election, 1979
The PC Party held a leadership convention in 1979 to replace outgoing leader Dick Collver. Devine won the leadership on the first ballot.