Ray Martin (politician)

Ray Martin
Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta
In office 1985–1993
Preceded by	Grant Notley
Succeeded by	Laurence Decore
MLA for Edmonton-Norwood
In office 1982–1993
Preceded by	Catherine Chichak
Succeeded by	Andrew Beniuk
MLA for Edmonton Beverly-Clareview
In office 2004–2008
Preceded by	Julius Yankowsky
Succeeded by	Tony Vandermeer
Edmonton Public School Trustee - Ward D
In office 2001–2004
Preceded by	Terry Sulyma
Succeeded by	David Colburn
Edmonton Public School Trustee - Ward D
In office 2013–2017
Preceded by	David Colburn
Succeeded by	Trisha Estabrooks
Personal details
Born	Raymond James Martin (1941-08-08) August 8, 1941 Delia, Alberta
Political party	Alberta New Democratic Party New Democratic Party
Alma mater	University of Alberta
Occupation	teacher

Raymond James "Ray" Martin (born August 8, 1941) is a politician in Alberta, Canada and former member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

Born in 1941 in Delia, Alberta, Martin attended the University of Alberta in Edmonton. He was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. He later attended the University of Calgary in order to earn his master's degree.

Ray Martin has won elections to serve as an Alberta MLA four times and as an Edmonton Public School Board Trustee twice. In 2018, Martin published his memoir, "Made in Alberta: The Ray Martin Story".

Provincial politics

Martin, a teacher by profession, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1982 provincial election as one member of a two-member Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) caucus.

He became leader of the Alberta NDP in 1984, succeeding Grant Notley who had died in a plane crash. Martin led the party to a highwater mark (at the time) winning 16 seats in the 1986 provincial election, making him leader of the opposition in the legislature. The NDP matched this performance in the 1989 election. In 1993, the party was wiped out, and Martin was defeated in his riding, Edmonton-Norwood, by Liberal Andrew Beniuk. He quit the party's leadership in 1994.

Martin returned to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta as the NDP Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Edmonton Beverly Clareview after an absence of eleven years by winning a seat in the 2004 general election. However, he was defeated in his 2008 campaign for re-election by Progressive Conservative Tony Vandermeer.

On September 14, 2011 Martin announced he would run for NDP in the next provincial election, in the riding of Edmonton-Glenora. He was defeated in the 2012 provincial election by Progressive Conservative Heather Klimchuk.

Municipal politics

In the 2001 Edmonton municipal election, Martin won election as the Edmonton Public School Board Trustee for Ward D. He did not seek re-election to this role in the 2004 election.

In the 2013 Edmonton municipal election, Martin once again won election as the Edmonton Public School Board Trustee for Ward D. He did not seek re-election in the 2017 election.

Federal politics

In 2003, Martin supported Bill Blaikie's unsuccessful campaign to become leader of the federal New Democratic Party.

Ray Martin has run and lost in four federal elections, each time as an NDP candidate. He ran in the 1997, 2000, 2008, and 2011 federal elections, in Edmonton North, Edmonton Centre-East, and Edmonton East (twice), respectively.