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User:Mr Serjeant Buzfuz/Electoral history of Allan Blakeney

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Allan Blakeney
Tenth Premier of Saskatchewan
1971 to 1982

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

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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 10 years, 312 days.[1]

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.[2]

Blakeney stood for election eight times, in various constituencies for the city of Regina. He was elected all eight times.[3]

Blakeney was the Minister of Education in Premier Tommy Douglas's Cabinet for one year, from 1960 to 1961.[4] He was the Provincial Treasurer in Premier Woodrow Lloyd's government (1961-1962), and then the Minister of Public Health (1962-1964).[5] As health minister, Blakeney was charged with implementing the CCF medicare plan.[2]

Saskatchewan general elections, 1971 to 1986

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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

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For more detailed tables of election results, see Saskatchewan general election, 1971.
For information about the 17th Legislature, 1971 to 1975, see 17th Saskatchewan Legislature.
For information about political events during the 17th Legislature, see Allan Blakeney § Premier.

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.

Saskatchewan General Election: June 23, 1971
Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular Vote
Percentage
  New Democratic Party Allan Blakeney1 45 248,978 55.0%
Liberal Ross Thatcher2 15 193,864 42.8%
Progressive Conservative Edward Nasserden 0 9,659 2.1%
  Independent – 0 189 0.0%3
Communist – 0 46 0.0%3
Total 60 452,736 99.9%4
Source: Elections Saskatchewan - Elections Results - 1971

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

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For more detailed tables of election results, see Saskatchewan general election, 1975.
For information about the 18th Legislature, 1975 to 1978, see 18th Saskatchewan Legislature.
For information about political events during the 18th Legislature, see Allan Blakeney § Premier.

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.

Saskatchewan General Election: June 11, 1975
Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular Vote
Percentage
  New Democratic Party Allan Blakeney1 39 180,700 40.1%
Liberal Davey Steuart2 15 142,853 31.7%
Progressive Conservative Dick Collver 7 124,573 27.6%
  Independent – 0 2,897 0.6%
Total 61 451,023 100.0%
Source: Elections Saskatchewan - Elections Results - 1975

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

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For more detailed tables of election results, see Saskatchewan general election, 1978.
For information about the 19th Legislature, 1978 to 1982, see 19th Saskatchewan Legislature.
For information about political events during the 19th Legislature, see Allan Blakeney § Premier.

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.

Saskatchewan General Election: October 18, 1978
Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular Vote
Percentage
  New Democratic Party Allan Blakeney1 44 228,791 48.1%
Progressive Conservative Dick Collver2 17 181,045 38.1%
Liberal Ted Malone3 0 65,498 13.8%
  Independent – 0 81 0.0%4
Total 61 475,415 100.0%
Source: Elections Saskatchewan - Elections Results - 1978

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

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For more detailed tables of election results, see Saskatchewan general election, 1982.
For information about the 20th Legislature, 1982 to 1986, see 20th Saskatchewan Legislature.
For information about political events during the 20th Legislature, see Allan Blakeney § Defeats in 1982, 1986.

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.

Saskatchewan General Election: April 26, 1982
Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular Vote
Percentage
Progressive Conservative Grant Devine1 55 289,311 54.1%
  New Democratic Party Allan Blakeney2 9 201,390 37.6%
Liberal Ralph Goodale 0 24,134 4.5%
Western Canada Concept – 0 17,487 3.3%
  Aboriginal People's Party – 0 1,156 0.2%
  Independent – 0 1,607 0.3%
Total 64 535,085 100.0%
Source: Elections Saskatchewan - Elections Results - 1982

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

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For more detailed tables of election results, see Saskatchewan general election, 1986.
For information about the 21st Legislature, 1986 to 1991, see 21st Saskatchewan Legislature.
For information about political events during the 21st Legislature, see Allan Blakeney § Defeats in 1982, 1986.

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.

Saskatchewan General Election: October 20, 1986
Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular Vote
Percentage
Progressive Conservative Grant Devine1 38 244,382 44.6%
  New Democratic Party Allan Blakeney2 25 247,683 45.2%
Liberal Ralph Goodale 1 54,739 10.0%
Western Canada Concept – 0 458 0.1%
  Alliance – 0 237 0.0%3
Communist – 0 73 0.0%3
  Independent – 0 358 0.0%3
Total 64 547,930 99.9%4
Source: Elections Saskatchewan - Elections Results - 1986

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

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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.[3]

1960 General election: Regina City

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General Election, June 8, 1960: Regina City - Four Members
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  Co-operative Commonwealth Federation   X Charles Cromwell Williams 23,425 11.1%
  Co-operative Commonwealth Federation   Allan Blakeney 22,382 10.6%
  Co-operative Commonwealth Federation   X Marjorie Alexandra Cooper 22,205 10.6%
  Co-operative Commonwealth Federation   Edward Charles Whelan 21,806 10.4%
Liberal Frederick W. Johnson 16,662 7.9%
Liberal Leslie Charles Sherman 16,316 7.8%
Liberal James Gillis Collins 15,578 7.4%
Liberal Mavis Jeanne Adams 14,589 6.9%
Progressive Conservative John Leishman 7,944 3.8%
Social Credit Henry Austin Hunt 7,652 3.6%
Social Credit Bert Louis Iannone 7,206 3.4%
Progressive Conservative Murdoch Alexander MacPherson 7,194 3.4%
Social Credit G. Lindsay Bower 7,103 3.4%
Social Credit William G. Gamlin 7,058 3.4%
Progressive Conservative Donald Bowman 6,358 3.0%
Progressive Conservative Walter Schmidt 5,175 2.5%
  Independent Leslie Hibbs 698 0.3%
  Independent Herbert Kenneth Cooper 624 0.3%
Communist William Charles Beeching 345 0.2%
Total 210,320 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Regina City

  Elected.
X Incumbent.

1964 General election: Regina West

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General Election, April 22, 1964: Regina West - Two members
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  Co-operative Commonwealth Federation   X Allan Blakeney 9,076 24.7%
  Co-operative Commonwealth Federation   X Marjorie Alexandra Cooper 8,413 22.9%
Liberal Alex Cochrane 7,770 21.2%
Liberal Betty Sear 6,981 19.0%
Progressive Conservative Donald K. MacPherson 4,495 12.2%
Total 36,735 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Regina West

  Elected.
X Incumbent.

1967 General election: Regina Centre

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General Election, October 11, 1967: Regina Centre
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party   X Allan Blakeney 4,363 57.1%
Liberal Pat McKerral 2,442 31.9%
Progressive Conservative Les Youngson 698 9.1%
Social Credit Nelson Falkowsky 142 1.9%
Total 7,645 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Regina Centre

  Elected.
X Incumbent.

1971 General election: Regina Centre

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General Election, June 23, 1971: Regina Centre
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party   X Allan Blakeney 9,804 69.7%
Liberal Ben Freitag 4,252 30.3%
Total 14,056 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Regina Centre

  Elected.
X Incumbent.

1975 General election: Regina Elphinstone

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General Election, June 11, 1975: Regina Elphinstone
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party   X Allan Blakeney 4,096 59.0%
Liberal Donna Welke 1,474 21.2%
Progressive Conservative Arthur Cropley 1,374 19.8%
Total 6,944 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Regina Elphinstone

  Elected.
X Incumbent.

1978 General election: Regina Elphinstone

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General Election, October 18, 1978: Regina Elphinstone
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party   X Allan Blakeney 4,390 70.4%
Progressive Conservative Christine Whitaker 1,250 20.0%
Liberal R. Lawson Wilde 596 9.6%
Total 6,236 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Regina Elphinstone

  Elected.
X Incumbent.

1982 General election: Regina Elphinstone

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General Election, April 26, 1982: Regina Elphinstone
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party   X Allan Blakeney 4,139 55.5%
Progressive Conservative J. Ross Reibling 3,066 41.1%
Liberal Glenn Caleval 255 3.4%
Total 7,460 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Regina Elphinstone

  Elected.
X Incumbent.

1986 General election: Regina Elphinstone

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General Election, October 20, 1986: Regina Elphinstone
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party   X Allan Blakeney 5,288 70.9%
Progressive Conservative Al Empringham 1,678 22.5%
Liberal Don McGregor 492 6.6%
Total 7,458 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Regina Elphinstone

  Elected.
X Incumbent.

1970 NDP Leadership election

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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.

NDP Leadership Convention, July 4, 1970
Voting results by ballot
Candidate First Ballot Second Ballot Third Ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast %
  Allan Blakeney 286 33.6% 311 36.6% 407 53.8%
  Roy Romanow 300 35.3% 320 37.6% 349 46.2%
Don Mitchell 187 22.0% 219 25.8% – –
George Taylor 78 9.2% – – – –
Total 851 100.1%1 850 100.0% 756 100.0

1 Rounding error.

References

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  1. ^ Saskatchewan Archives: List of Saskatchewan Premiers.
  2. ^ a b "Former Saskatchewan premier Allan Blakeney dies of cancer", The Globe and Mail, April 16, 2011; updated May 2, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Saskatchewan Archives: Election Results by Electoral Division.
  4. ^ Saskatchewan Archives: Ministries - Eighth Ministry.
  5. ^ Saskatchewan Archives: Ministries - Ninth Ministry.
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