# Barry Morishita

Barry Morishita is a Canadian politician who served as the leader of the Alberta Party from 2021 to 2023. He previously served on the city council of Brooks in 1998 and became the city's mayor in 2016.

## Background

Morishita's father was born in 1945 at the Tashme Incarceration Camp, where his family had been interred during World War II. He moved to Brooks at the end of the war, where Morishita was born.
He graduated Rosemary High School in 1983.
In 1986, he married his wife, Jeanne.
Before his entry into politics he owned and operated an auto part store along with some business partners.

## Political career

Morishita was first elected in Brooks city council in 1998 at the age of thirty. He was elected Mayor of Brooks in 2016 and president of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association in 2017. In September 2021, he stepped down from both roles to become leader of the Alberta Party after the resignation of former party leader Stephen Mandel. He ran in a by-election for the southern Alberta seat of Brooks-Medicine Hat on November 8, 2022 but lost to the UCP candidate, Alberta premier Danielle Smith.
On October 15, 2023, Morishita resigned as leader of the Alberta Party.

## Electoral record
### 2023 general election

vte2023 Alberta general election: Brooks-Medicine Hat :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | United Conservative | Danielle Smith | 13,315 | 66.49 | +11.98 |
| | New Democratic | Gwendoline Dirk | 5,477 | 27.35 | +0.61 |
| | Alberta Party | Barry Morishita | 1,233 | 6.16 | -10.37 |
| Total | Total | Total | 20,025 | 99.54 | – |
| Rejected and declined | Rejected and declined | Rejected and declined | 92 | 0.46 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 20,117 | 56.85 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 35,385 |
| | United Conservative hold | United Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | -1.82 |
| Source(s) Source: Elections Alberta |||||||

### 2022 by-election

Alberta provincial by-election, 8 November 2022: Brooks-Medicine Hat :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | United Conservative | Danielle Smith | 6,919 | 54.51 | -6.15 |
| | New Democratic | Gwendoline Dirk | 3,394 | 26.74 | +8.85 |
| | Alberta Party | Barry Morishita | 2,098 | 16.53 | +9.60 |
| | Alberta Independence | Bob Blayone | 225 | 1.77 | +0.80 |
| | Wildrose Independence | Jeevan Mangat | 56 | 0.44 | |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 12,692 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 45 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,695 | 35.51 | -30.27 |
| Eligible voters | Eligible voters | Eligible voters | 35,872 |
| | United Conservative hold | United Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | -7.48 |
| Elections Alberta |||||||

### 2001 general election

vte2001 Alberta general election: Strathmore-Brooks :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Progressive Conservative | Lyle Oberg | 8,585 | 75.09% | 2.51% |
| | Liberal | Barry Morishita | 1,774 | 15.52% | 2.76% |
| | Independent | Christopher Sutherland | 511 | 4.47% | – |
| | New Democratic | Don MacFarlane | 290 | 2.54% | -3.48% |
| | Social Credit | Rudy Martens | 273 | 2.39% | -6.26% |
| Total | Total | Total | 11,433 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | 29 | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 24,372 | 47.03% | 0.05% |
| | Progressive Conservative hold | Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | Swing | -0.12% |
| Source(s) Source: "Strathmore-Brooks Official Results 2001 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||