Lethbridge-West

Lethbridge-West

Alberta electoral district
Lethbridge-West within the City of Lethbridge, 2017 boundaries
Provincial electoral district
Legislature	Legislative Assembly of Alberta
MLA	Shannon Phillips New Democratic
District created	1971
First contested	1971
Last contested	2015

Lethbridge-West is an Alberta provincial electoral district, covering the western half of the city of Lethbridge, including all of West Lethbridge.

Under the Alberta electoral boundary re-distribution of 2004, 13 Street forms most of the dividing line between Lethbridge East and Lethbridge West. Scenic Drive and 16 Avenue South form a small part of the boundary. Clockwise from Lethbridge East, the constituency is bounded at the city limits by Little Bow, by Livingstone-Macleod and then again by Little Bow.

The current Member of the Legislative Assembly for this district is New Democrat Shannon Phillips.

History

The electoral district was created in the 1971 boundary redistribution from the old electoral district of Lethbridge when it was split in half.

The 2010 boundary redistribution made some minor revisions to equalize the population between West and East. North of St. Edward Blvd the boundary was pushed west from 13 Street to Stafford Drive.

Boundary history

65 Lethbridge-East 2003 Boundaries
Bordering Districts
North	East	West	South
Little Bow	Lethbridge-East	Livingstone-Macleod	Little Bow
riding map goes here		map in relation to other districts in Alberta goes here
Legal description from the Statutes of Alberta 2003, Electoral Divisions Act.
Starting at the right bank of the Oldman River and the north Lethbridge city boundary; then 1. east along the city boundary to 13 Street North; 2. south along 13 Street North and 13 Street South to 16 Avenue South; 3. west along 16 Avenue South to Scenic Drive South; 4. southeast along Scenic Drive South to the east boundary of Sec. 30 in Twp. 8, Rge. 21 W4; 5. south along Secs. 30, 19 and 18 in the Twp. to the right bank of the Oldman River; 6. upstream along the right bank to the north boundary of Sec. 16, Twp. 8, Rge. 22 W4; 7. east along the north boundary to the west Lethbridge city boundary; 8. north, east and northeast along the west city boundary to the starting point.
Note:

69 Lethbridge-West 2010 Boundaries
Bordering Districts
North	East	West	South
Little Bow	Lethbridge-East	Cardston-Taber-Warner	Little Bow
Legal description from the Statutes of Alberta 2010, Electoral Divisions Act.
Note:

Representation history

Members of the Legislative Assembly for Lethbridge-West
Assembly	Years	Member		Party
See: Lethbridge 1921-1971
17th	1971–1975		Richard Gruenwald	Social Credit
18th	1975–1979		John Gogo	Progressive Conservative
19th	1979–1982
20th	1982–1986
21st	1986–1989
22nd	1989–1993
23rd	1993–1997		Clint Dunford
24th	1997–2001
25th	2001–2004
26th	2004–2008
27th	2008–2012		Greg Weadick
28th	2012–2015
29th	2015–present		Shannon Phillips	New Democrat

The electoral district was created in 1971 from the old Lethbridge district when it was split in half. Prior to 1971 the city returned candidates from a number of different banners. The first representative returned in the election held that year was Social Credit candidate Richard Gruenwald who won the district with well over half of the popular vote.

Gruenwald would run for a second term in the 1975 election and would be defeated finishing a distant second place behind Progressive Conservative candidate John Gogo who took almost 60% of the popular vote. Gogo would win his next two terms in 1979 and 1982 with increasing majorities achieving almost 70% of the popular vote.

Gogo would lose significant popularity upon re-election to his fourth term in 1986. He would fall from 70% the previous election to under half. He would hold his seat for a final term in 1989 when he took just over 45% of the popular vote. In his last term in office Premier Don Getty appointed Gogo as Minister of Advanced education He held that until 1992. Gogo retired from dissolution of the Assembly in 1993.

The 1993 election saw a hotly contested race between Progressive Conservative candidate Clint Dunford and Liberal candidate Michael Dietrich. Dunford won by a razor thin margin of just over 100 votes to hold the seat for his party and taking just over 41% of the popular vote.

Dunford was re-elected in 1997 winning a slightly higher plurality. After the election he was appointed to the provincial cabinet by Premier Ralph Klein as Minister of Advanced Education and Career Development. In 1999 he was shuffled to the Minister of Human Resources and Employment portfolio.

Dunford ran for his third term in 2001 increasing his plurality slightly taking 48% of the popular vote and kept his cabinet post. He ran for his fourth term in office in 2004 and fell to an all-time low holding his seat with just 39% of the popular vote. After that election he was shuffled to the Minister of Economic Development until 2006. Dunford retired from the legislature in 2008.

The fourth representative returned from the riding was Progressive Conservative candidate Greg Weadick who won his first term as MLA in 2008, but was defeated in the 2015 general election by Shannon Phillips of the NDP, who is currently the ridings representative in the legislature.

Legislature results

Elections in the 1970s

1971 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%
	Social Credit	Richard Gruenwald	4,169	54.93
	Progressive Conservative	R.J. Gray	2,751	36.24
	New Democratic	Klaas Buijert	670	8.83
Total valid votes			7,590
Rejected, spoiled and declined			75
Eligible electors / Turnout			10,464	73.25
	Social Credit pickup new district.
Source(s) "Letbridge-West Official Results 1971 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

1975 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	John Gogo	3,991	59.42	+23.18
	Social Credit	Richard Gruenwald	1,914	28.49	-26.44
	New Democratic	Ian Whishaw	812	12.09	+3.26
Total valid votes			6,717
Rejected, spoiled and declined			133
Eligible electors / Turnout			10,464	64.50	-8.75
	Progressive Conservative gain from Social Credit		Swing		+24.81
Source(s) "Letbridge-West Official Results 1975 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

1979 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	John Gogo	5,682	64.65	+5.23
	Social Credit	Jerry Waldern	1,625	18.49	-10.00
	New Democratic	Ron Clark	971	11.05	-1.04
	Liberal	Bob Wilson	511	5.81
Total valid votes			8,789
Rejected, spoiled and declined			7
Eligible electors / Turnout			10,464	54.58	-9.92
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+7.62%
Source(s) "Letbridge-West Official Results 1979 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

Elections in the 1980s

1982 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	John Gogo	8,302	69.53	+4.88
	New Democratic	Ian Whishaw	1,844	15.44	+4.39
	Western Canada Concept	G.M. Genstad	938	7.86
	Social Credit	Jerry Waldern	480	4.02	-14.47
	Alberta Reform Movement	Brenda Perkins	377	3.16
Total valid votes			11,941
Rejected, spoiled and declined			26
Eligible electors / Turnout			11,967	61.68	+7.10
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+0.25
Source(s) "Letbridge-West Official Results 1982 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

1986 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	John Gogo	3,999	48.64	-20.89
	New Democratic	Ed Webking	2,006	24.40	+8.96
	Liberal	Nora Galenzoski	1,579	19.20
	Representative	Douglas Pitt	532	6.47
	Confederation of Regions	Nora Galenzoski	106	1.29
Total valid votes			8,222
Rejected, spoiled and declined			23
Eligible electors / Turnout			21,535	38.29	-23.39
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		-14.93
Source(s) "Letbridge-West Official Results 1986 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

1989 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	John Gogo	4,741	45.44	-3.20
	Liberal	Rhonda Ruston	3,210	30.76	+11.16
	New Democratic	Joyce Green	2,483	23.80	-0.60
Total valid votes			10,434
Rejected, spoiled and declined			26
Eligible electors / Turnout			21,805	47.97	+9.68
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		-7.18
Source(s) "Letbridge-West Official Results 1989 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

Elections in the 1990s

1993 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Clint Dunford	4,643	41.92	-3.52
	Liberal	Michael Dietrich	4,534	40.94	+10.18
	New Democratic	Jacqueline Preyde	973	8.78	-15.02
	Independent	Jason Kempt	926	8.36
Total			11,076
Rejected, spoiled and declined			49
Eligible electors / Turnout			20,154	55.20	+7.23
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		-6.85
Source(s) "Letbridge-West Official Results 1993 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Archived from the original on December 8, 2010. Retrieved March 1, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

1997 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Clint Dunford	5,679	45.31	+3.39
	Liberal	Leslie Vaala	4,765	38.02	-2.92
	Social Credit	Brian Stewart	1,04	+8.32
	New Democratic	Tom Hovan	806	6.43	-1.93
	Greens	Don Ferguson	240	1.92
Total valid votes			12,533
Rejected, spoiled and declined			22
Eligible electors / Turnout			22,549	55.68	+0.48
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+3.16
Source(s) "1997 General Election". Elections Alberta. Retrieved January 26, 2012.

Elections in the 2000s

2001 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Clint Dunford	6,685	48.08	+2.77
	Liberal	Leslie Vaala	5,496	39.52	+1.50
	New Democratic	Mark Sandilands	1,062	7.64	+1.21
	Alberta First	Brian Stewart	662	4.76	-3.56
Total valid votes			13,905
Rejected, spoiled, and declined			38
Eligible electors / Turnout			24,561	56.77	+1.09
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+0.64
Source(s) "Lethbridge-West Official Results 2001 Alberta general election" (PDF). Elections Alberta. Retrieved March 27, 2010.

2004 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Clint Dunford	4,411	39.84	-8.24
	Liberal	Bal Boora	3,629	32.78	-6.74
	New Democratic	Mark Sandlands	1,357	12.26	+4.62
	Alberta Alliance	Merle Terlesky	913	8.25
	Greens	Andrew Sheridan	385	3.48
	Social Credit	Scott Sawatsky	375	3.39
Total valid votes			11,070
Rejected, spoiled and declined			78
Registered electors / Turnout			24,561	45.56	-11.21
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		-7.49%
Source(s) "Lethbridge-West Statement of Official Results 2004 Alberta general election" (PDF). Elections Alberta. Retrieved March 1, 2012.

2008 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Greg Weadick	5,002	43.68	+3.84
	Liberal	Bal Boora	4,022	35.13	+2.35
	New Democratic	James Moore	1,179	10.30	-1.96
	Wildrose	Matt Fox	855	7.47	-2.83
	Greens	Brennan Tilley	392	3.42	-0.06
Total votes			11,450
Rejected, spoiled and declined			47
Eligible electors / turnout			33,934	33.88	-11.68
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		+0.75
Source(s) The Report on the March 3, 2008 Provincial General Election of the Twenty-seventh Legislative Assembly. Elections Alberta. July 28, 2008. pp. 472–475.

Elections in the 2010s

2012 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Progressive Conservative	Greg Weadick	5,810	36.66	-7.02
	New Democratic	Shannon Phillips	4,746	29.95	+19.65
	Wildrose	Kevin Kinahan	4,235	26.72	+19.25
	Liberal	Bal Boora	881	5.56	-29.57
	Alberta Party	David Walters	177	1.11	–
Total valid votes			15,849	98.97
Rejected, spoiled, and declined			165	1.03
Registered electors / turnout			29,267	54.72	+20.84
	Progressive Conservative hold		Swing		-13.34
Source(s) Elections Alberta. "Electoral Division Results - Lethbridge-West".

2015 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	New Democratic	Shannon Phillips	11,114	59.18	+29.23
	Progressive Conservative	Greg Weadick	3,938	20.97	-15.69
	Wildrose	Ron Bain	3,063	16.31	-10.41
	Liberal	Sheila Pyne	634	3.38	-2.18
Total valid votes			18,779	99.05
Rejected, spoiled, and declined			181	0.95	-0.08
Registered electors / turnout			34,146	55.53	+0.81
	New Democratic gain from Progressive Conservative		Swing		+22.46
Source(s) Elections Alberta. "Electoral Division Results - Lethbridge-West".

2019 Alberta general election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	New Democratic	Shannon Phillips	11,016	45.2	-13.98
	United Conservative	Karri Flatla	10,790	44.3	+7.02
	Alberta Party	Zac Rhodenizer	1,763	7.2	--
	Liberal	Patricia Chizek	460	1.9	-1.48
	Independence	Ben Maddison	332	1.4	--
Total valid votes			24,361	99.42
Rejected, spoiled, and declined			143	0.58	-0.37
Registered electors/Turnout			37,863	64.6	9.07
	New Democratic hold		Swing		-14.88
Source(s) Elections Alberta. "Electoral Division Results - Lethbridge-West".

Senate nominee results

2004 Senate nominee election district results

2004 Senate nominee election results: Lethbridge-West					Turnout 45.59%
	Candidate	Votes	% Votes	% Ballots	Rank
	Progressive Conservative	Bert Brown	3,233	13.26%	38.29%	1
	Independent	Link Byfield	2,946	12.08%	34.89%	4
	Progressive Conservative	Betty Unger	2,906	11.92%	34.41%	2
	Independent	Tom Sindlinger	2,741	11.24%	32.46%	9
	Alberta Alliance	Vance Gough	2,263	9.28%	26.80%	8
	Alberta Alliance	Michael Roth	2,205	9.04%	26.11%	7
	Progressive Conservative	Cliff Breitkreuz	2,169	8.90%	25.69%	3
	Progressive Conservative	David Usherwood	2,043	8.38%	24.20%	6
	Progressive Conservative	Jim Silye	1,970	8.08%	23.33%	5
	Alberta Alliance	Gary Horan	1,905	7.82%	22.56%	10
Total Votes			24,381	100%
Total Ballots			8,444	2.89 Votes Per Ballot
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined			2,712

Voters had the option of selecting 4 Candidates on the Ballot

Student Vote results

2004 election

Participating Schools
GS Lakie Middle School

On November 19, 2004 a Student Vote was conducted at participating Alberta schools to parallel the 2004 Alberta general election results. The vote was designed to educate students and simulate the electoral process for persons who have not yet reached the legal majority. The vote was conducted in 80 of the 83 provincial electoral districts with students voting for actual election candidates. Schools with a large student body that reside in another electoral district had the option to vote for candidates outside of the electoral district then where they were physically located.

2004 Alberta Student Vote results
	Affiliation	Candidate	Votes	%
	Progressive Conservative	Clint Dunford	184	34.26%
	Liberal	Bal Boora	133	24.77%
	NDP	Mark Sandilands	75	13.97%
	Green	Andrew Sheridan	61	11.36%
	Social Credit	Scott Sawatsky	44	8.19%
	Alberta Alliance	Merle Terlesky	40	7.45%
Total			537	100%
Rejected, Spoiled and Declined			19

External links

• Legislative Assembly of Alberta