The current MLA for this district is the New Democrat Barb Miller.
History
The electoral district was created in the 1985 boundary redistribution from the Red Deer provincial electoral district. The city of Red Deer had been contained in a single electoral district since 1888 when it first started returning members to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories. The city was split into South and Red Deer-North.
The 2010 boundary redistribution saw adjustments made to the boundary with Red Deer-North to equalize the population between the two constituencies.[1]
map in relation to other districts in Alberta goes here
Legal description from the Statutes of Alberta 2003, Electoral Divisions Act.
Starting at the intersection of the west City of Red Deer boundary with the right bank of the Red Deer River near the northerly extension of 60 Avenue; then 1. generally northeast along the right bank of the Red Deer River to Taylor Drive; 2. southeast along Taylor Drive to Ross Street (50 Street); 3. east along Ross Street (50 Street) and its extension to the east boundary of the City of Red Deer (Range Road 271); 4. south, west, northwest and north along the City of Red Deer boundary to the starting point.
Since the electoral district was created in 1986, the voters of Red Deer-South have returned Progressive Conservative candidates in every election until 2015, joining the province-wide NDP victory. The first representative was John Oldring who served two terms in office. He served as a cabinet minister in the government of Don Getty in his second term and retired in 1993 after a failed leadership bid for the Progressive Conservative Party.
Victor Doerksen was the second MLA for the district. He was first elected in 1993 after a very hotly contested election with a Liberal candidate. He would eke out his second term in 1997 facing another strong challenge from the Liberals. His third term would be won with the highest popular vote in the history of the riding. He would be appointed to cabinet in the government of Ralph Klein shortly after the election and hold his portfolio until 2006 when he resigned to run for leadership of the Progressive Conservatives. After his bid for leadership failed he retired from office in 2008.
The next representative was Cal Dallas, elected to his first term in 2008. He was appointed Minister of International and Intergovernmental Relations by Premier Allison Redford in October 2011.
Source: The Report on the March 3, 2008 Provincial General Election of the Twenty-seventh Legislative Assembly. Elections Alberta. July 28, 2008. pp. 512–517.
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.
During the week of April 16, 2012 - April 20, 2012 a Student Vote was conducted at participating Alberta schools to parallel the 2012 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 86 of the 87 provincial electoral districts with students voting for actual election candidates. Students from École Secondaire Notre Dame High School participated in the vote on April 19, 2012.
Alberta electoral district