# Gordon Kesler

Gordon Kesler (born 1945) is a former politician from Alberta, Canada.

## Political career

Gordon Kesler's stunning victory in the February 1982 by-election for the Western Canada Concept received national media attention. Kesler was the first separatist politician elected in Canada outside of Quebec since the 1870s, although his activities were primarily related to opposing official bilingualism and the introduction of the metric system.
After the win, Kesler became leader of the party. He won the Olds-Didsbury electoral district defeating Stephen Stiles of the Progressive Conservatives and Lloyd Quantz of Social Credit and three other candidates.
During the 1982 general election, held two-and-a-half months later in November, Kesler lost his seat despite Western Canada Concept fielding a full slate. He had shifted districts to his home district of Highwood after promising to move to Olds-Didsbury if elected. The time he served was the second shortest between election and defeat in the legislature's history. Harry Alger from the Progressive Conservatives defeated him with a five thousand vote plurality.
In a 1983 letter to the editor of the Alberta Report, Doug Christie, founder of the Western Canada Concept, accused Gordon Kesler of betraying separatism. Kesler and his party had been striving to distance themselves from the controversial Christie.

## Electoral record

Alberta provincial by-election, February 17, 1982: Olds-Didsbury Upon the resignation of Robert Curtis Clark on November 30, 1981 :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Western Canada Concept | Gordon Kesler | 4,015 | 42.20 | — |
| | Social Credit | Lloyd Quantz | 2,669 | 28.05 | -42.11 |
| | Progressive Conservative | Stephen Stiles | 2,396 | 25.18 | -2.38 |
| | New Democratic | Myrna Jarboe | 308 | 3.24 | +1.57 |
| | Liberal | George Leussink | 126 | 1.32 | +0.72 |
| | Independent | Adilsha Shivji | 9 | 0.09 | — |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 9,514 | 100.00 | — |
| Rejected, spoiled, and declined | Rejected, spoiled, and declined | Rejected, spoiled, and declined | 19 | — | — |
| Eligible electors / Turnout | Eligible electors / Turnout | Eligible electors / Turnout | 13,798 | 69.09 | -4.29 |
| | Western Canada Concept gain from Social Credit | Western Canada Concept gain from Social Credit | Swing | Swing | +42.16 |
| Source(s) Elections Alberta. "By-elections". Retrieved April 30, 2018. |||||||
1982 Alberta general election: Highwood :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Harry Alger | 7,811 | 70.08% | 3.58% |
| | Western Canada Concept | Gordon Kesler | 2,006 | 18.00% | * |
| | New Democratic | William McCutcheon | 465 | 4.17% | 0.51% |
| | Independent | R.L. Snell | 436 | 3.91% |
| | Independent | Don Tanner | 245 | 2.20% |
| | Alberta Reform Movement | Ronald Arkes | 183 | 1.64% | * | * |
| Total | Total | Total | 11,146 |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 30 |
| Eligible electors / Turnout | Eligible electors / Turnout | Eligible electors / Turnout | 14,495 | 77.10% |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | 10.79% |
| Source(s) "Highwood Official Results 1982 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved March 30, 2010. |||||||