# 1979 Alberta general election

The 1979 Alberta general election was held on March 14, 1979, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, which had been expanded to 79 seats.
The Progressive Conservative Party of Peter Lougheed won its third consecutive term in government. During the campaign, some Progressive Conservatives spoke of winning "79 in '79", i.e., all 79 seats in the legislature. This harkened back to Social Credit's unofficial slogan from the 1963 election, "63 in '63". The Tories came up short of this goal, and actually lost over five percentage points of the popular vote. Nonetheless, they still won an overwhelming majority, with 74 seats.
Social Credit held on to the four seats they had won in the 1975 election, and formed the official opposition in the legislature. Grant Notley, leader of the Alberta New Democratic Party, was the only other opposition member.

## Results

| Party | Party | Party leader | # of candidates | Seats | Seats | Seats | Popular Vote | Popular Vote | Popular Vote |
| Party | Party | Party leader | # of candidates | 1975 | Elected | % Change | # | % | % Change |
| | Progressive Conservative | Peter Lougheed | 79 | 69 | 74 | +7.2% | 408,097 | 57.40% | -5.25% |
| | Social Credit | Robert Curtis Clark | 79 | 4 | 4 | - | 141,284 | 19.87% | +1.70% |
| | New Democrats | Grant Notley | 79 | 1 | 1 | - | 111,984 | 15.75% | +2.81% |
| | Liberal | Nicholas Taylor | 78 | - | - | - | 43,792 | 6.16% | +1.18% |
| | Independent | Independent | 8 | - | - | - | 3,430 | 0.48% | +0.37% |
| | Independent Conservative | Independent Conservative | 3 | - | - | - | 1,613 | 0.23% | +0.05%$^1$ |
| | Independent Christian | Independent Christian | 1 | * | - | * | 403 | 0.06% | * |
| | Communist | | 7 | - | - | - | 357 | 0.05% | -0.08% |
| Total | Total | Total | 334 | 75 | 79 | +5.3% | 710,963 | 100% | |
| Source: Elections Alberta ||||||||||
Notes: $^1$ Percent compared to Independent Progressive Conservative during the 1975 Election.
$^*$ Party did not nominate candidates in the previous election.
Popular vote
PC
57.40%
Social Credit
19.87%
New Democratic
15.75%
Liberal
6.16%
Others
0.82% :
Seats summary
PC
93.67%
Social Credit
5.06%
New Democratic
1.27% :

## Results by riding

| Electoral district | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Candidates | Incumbent |
| Electoral district | PC | PC | Social Credit | Social Credit | NDP | NDP | Liberal | Liberal | Other | Other | Incumbent | Incumbent |
| Athabasca | | Frank Appleby 4,153 55.39% | | Ernest W. Maser 989 13.19% | | Peter E. Opryshko 1,792 23.90% | | Robert Blain Logan 554 7.39% | | | Frank Appleby |
| Banff-Cochrane | | Greg Stevens 5,578 66.79% | | Thomas McArthur 1,462 17.51% | | Bob Ritchie 759 9.09% | | Morna F. Schechtel 543 6.50% | | | |
| Barrhead | | Hugh F. Horner 4,629 61.73% | | David Bouyea 1,658 22.11% | | Lionel Udenberg 1,008 13.44% | | John V. Murphy 136 1.81% | | | Hugh F. Horner |
| Bonnyville | | Ernie Isley 3,468 49.57% | | George Nordstrom 1,275 18.22% | | Tom Turner 1,828 26.13% | | Edward Stepanik 194 2.77% | | Donald Appleby (Ind.) 206 2.94% | Donald Hansen |
| Bow Valley | | Paul Bartlett 2,484 35.92% | | Fred T. Mandeville 4,123 59.62% | | Ron Wickson 201 2.91% | | Brian Nearing 86 1.24% | | | Fred T. Mandeville |
| Calgary-Bow | | Neil Webber 7,042 64.39% | | Jim Beale 1,816 16.61% | | Floyd A. Johnson 1,361 12.45% | | Clive Scott 633 5.79% | | Adela Polancec (Comm.) 47 0.43% | Neil Webber |
| Calgary-Buffalo | | Tom Sindlinger 6,481 63.78% | | Jim Rocker 1,432 14.09% | | Brian Rees 1,052 10.35% | | Lloyd Hamilton 1,096 10.79% | | David Willis (Comm.) 62 0.61% | Ronald H. Ghitter |
| Calgary-Currie | | Dennis L. Anderson 6,885 59.57% | | Charles S. Dunkley 2,822 24.42% | | Glenn Miller 1,042 9.02% | | Jerry Arshinoff 789 6.83% | | | Fred H. Peacock |
| Calgary-Egmont | | Merv Leitch 8,083 73.30% | | Albert Downton 1,245 11.29% | | Muriel McCreary 844 7.65% | | Marta Coldham 833 7.55% | | | Merv Leitch |
| Calgary-Elbow | | David J. Russell 5,941 65.67% | | Patricia (Pat) Sveen 1,321 14.60% | | William J. Oxendale 531 5.87% | | John S. Webb 1,227 13.56% | | | David J. Russell |
| Calgary-Fish Creek | | William Edward Payne 9,187 75.94% | | Al Green 1,190 9.84% | | Margaret Young 481 3.98% | | Jerry Sykes 1,225 10.13% | | | |
| Calgary-Foothills | | Stewart A. McCrae 7,518 61.89% | | Lorraine Law 2,835 23.34% | | Steve G. Arnett 982 8.08% | | Catherine M. Fitzpatrick 789 6.50% | | | Stewart A. McCrae |
| Calgary-Forest Lawn | | John Zaozirny 5,901 59.39% | | Don Howes 2,263 22.78% | | Doug Murdoch 813 8.18% | | Marg Bogstie 284 2.86% | | John Sutherland (Ind.) 577 5.81% Bruce Potter (Comm.) 47 0.47% | |
| Calgary-Glenmore | | Hugh L. Planche 8,212 55.74% | | Ernie Kaszas 1,280 8.69% | | Neil Ellison 442 3.00% | | Nicholas Taylor 4,774 32.40% | | | Hugh L. Planche |
| Calgary-McCall | | Andrew Little 7,918 70.39% | | Jim Richards 1,757 15.62% | | Dave Hammond 838 7.45% | | Ron Chahal 691 6.14% | | Michael J. Parker (Comm.) 20 0.18% | Andrew Little |
| Calgary-McKnight | | Eric Charles Musgreave 7,248 61.61% | | Jerry Melchin 2,684 22.82% | | Jack Dale 1,097 9.33% | | John J. Gleason 664 5.64% | | | Eric Charles Musgreave |
| Calgary-Millican | | David John Carter 4,034 61.80% | | Arthur J. Dixon 1,539 23.58% | | Stan Johns 595 9.11% | | Bob Cox 331 5.07% | | | Thomas Charles Donnelly |
| Calgary-Mountain View | | Stan Kushner 5,141 54.54% | | Scott Saville 1,986 21.07% | | Martin Serediak 1,455 15.44% | | John Donnachie 804 8.53% | | | John Kushner |
| Calgary-North Hill | | Ed Oman 6,760 64.41% | | Dennis Shupe 1,799 17.14% | | Agnes Middleton 1,052 10.02% | | Dorothy Groves 747 7.12% | | John J. Jasienczyk (Ind.) 71 0.68% | Roy Alexander Farran |
| Calgary-North West | | Sheila Embury 5,976 61.59% | | Harold Gunderson 2,043 21.06% | | Ken Richmond 721 7.43% | | George R.D. Goulet 950 9.79% | | | |
| Calgary-West | | Peter Lougheed 7,825 72.44% | | Frank F. Cottingham 930 8.61% | | Ed Smith 699 6.47% | | Barbara Ann Scott 874 8.09% | | Jacob H. Binnema (Ind. Christian) 406 3.78% | Peter Lougheed |
| Camrose | | Gordon Stromberg 7,998 60.06% | | Ralph A. Sorenson 3,121 23.44% | | Arthur C. Bunney 1,888 14.18% | | John R. Shores 278 2.09% | | | Gordon Stromberg |
| Cardston | | John Thompson 2,832 53.89% | | Broyce G. Jacobs 2,196 41.79% | | Rosemarie M. Buchannan 102 1.94% | | Paul Shaw 115 2.19% | | | John Thompson |
| Chinook | | Henry Kroeger 4,024 66.11% | | Arlie Reil 1,310 21.52% | | John W. Oberg 406 6.67% | | Sheila Noonan 314 5.16% | | | |
| Clover Bar | | C.G. Thomlinson 3,947 34.90% | | Walt A. Buck 6,033 53.35% | | Graham Griffiths 1,102 9.75% | | Alan M.F. Dunn 211 1.87% | | | Walt A. Buck |
| Cypress | | Alan Hyland 3,353 56.90% | | Vern Beck 1,907 32.36% | | Clarence W. Smith 499 8.47% | | Carl Pattison 123 2.09% | | | Alan Hyland |
| Drayton Valley | | Shirley Cripps 3,530 56.75% | | Phil Turner 1,284 20.64% | | Gerry Hutchinson 1,290 20.74% | | Harold Knopke 94 1.51% | | | Rudolph Zander |
| Drumheller | | Lewis (Mickey) Clark 5,585 54.56% | | Ken Taylor 1,913 18.69% | | Ray Garrett 526 5.14% | | Charles J. Dirk 209 2.04% | | Vern Hoff (Ind.) 1,927 18.83% | Gordon Edward Taylor |
| Edmonton-Avonmore | | Horst A. Schmid 5,382 53.91% | | Walter Zucht 1,691 16.94% | | Olga Blondheim 2,363 23.67% | | Betty Ann Dumbeck 511 5.12% | | | Horst A. Schmid |
| Edmonton-Belmont | | William L. Mack 4,923 54.90% | | Ron Mix 1,813 20.22% | | Haddie Jahner 1,769 19.73% | | Charalee Graydon 369 4.12% | | | Albert Edward Hohol |
| Edmonton-Beverly | | Bill W. Diachuk 3,756 50.29% | | Pat G.A. O'Hara 854 11.44% | | Gene Mitchell 2,592 34.71% | | Teresa McKerral 231 3.09% | | | Bill W. Diachuk |
| Edmonton-Calder | | Tom Chambers 5,205 58.18% | | Dan R. Service 982 10.98% | | Bill Kobluk 2,180 24.37% | | Richard Guthrie 535 5.98% | | | Tom Chambers |
| Edmonton-Centre | | Mary LeMessurier 4,550 54.19% | | Robert J. Dunseith 838 9.98% | | Harry C. Midgley 2,273 27.07% | | Leonard Stahl 704 8.38% | | | Gordon Miniely |
| Edmonton-Glengarry | | Rollie Cook 4,309 54.95% | | Victor Nakonechny 1,277 16.29% | | David Stewart 1,489 18.99% | | Ronald John Hayter 719 9.17% | | | |
| Edmonton-Glenora | | Lou Hyndman 6,597 61.23% | | Patrice Taylor 1,330 12.34% | | Doug Trace 1,838 17.06% | | David Panar 967 8.97% | | | Lou Hyndman |
| Edmonton-Gold Bar | | Alois Paul Hiebert 6,044 55.93% | | Ace Cetinski 1,397 12.93% | | Kathleen Wright 2,343 21.68% | | Laurie Switzer 1,002 9.27% | | | William Yurko |
| Edmonton-Highlands | | David T. King 4,644 56.28% | | Sam Motrich 770 9.33% | | Clifford Gladue 2,065 25.03% | | Ted Power 594 7.20% | | William A. Tuomi (Comm.) 84 1.02% Roger Lavoie (Ind.) 65 0.79% | David T. King |
| Edmonton-Jasper Place | | Leslie Gordon Young 5,049 60.16% | | Ralph Frank Watzke 1,037 12.36% | | Charlie Wood 1,735 20.67% | | Gerald F. Paschen 554 6.60% | | | Leslie Gordon Young |
| Edmonton-Kingsway | | Kenneth R.H. Paproski 4,387 50.44% | | Martin Hattersly 975 11.21% | | Alex McEachern 2,563 29.47% | | Dorothy A. Richardson 684 7.86% | | Eddie Keehn (Ind.) 51 0.59% | Kenneth R.H. Paproski |
| Edmonton-Meadowlark | | Gerard Joseph Amerongen 7,075 59.97% | | Russ Forsythe 1,237 10.48% | | Jim Bell 2,098 17.78% | | Ron Charko 904 7.66% | | C.A. Douglas Ringrose (Ind.) 448 3.80% | Gerard Joseph Amerongen |
| Edmonton-Mill Woods | | Milt Pahl 4,299 56.16% | | Rudy Rodriques 573 7.49% | | L. (Les) Owre 1,552 20.27% | | Rose MacPherson 989 12.92% | | | |
| Edmonton-Norwood | | Catherine Chichak 3,950 46.61% | | Mike Ekelund 703 8.29% | | Ray Martin 3,194 37.69% | | Walter G. Coombs 486 5.73% | | Kimball Cariou (Comm.) 45 0.53% | Catherine Chichak |
| Edmonton-Parkallen | | Neil S. Crawford 6,457 50.47% | | Morley MacCalder 1,483 11.59% | | Jim Russell 4,102 32.06% | | Philip Lister 724 5.66% | | | Neil S. Crawford |
| Edmonton-Sherwood Park | | Henry Woo 6,285 60.57% | | Oran Johnson 1,594 15.36% | | Jim Denholm 1,682 16.21% | | Stephen Lindop 795 7.66% | | | |
| Edmonton-Strathcona | | Julian Koziak 5,464 44.94% | | E.J.C. Charman 927 7.62% | | Gordon S.B. Wright 4,808 39.54% | | George Walton 739 6.08% | | Gerry Ball (Ind. P.C.) 155 1.28% Joseph Hill (Comm.) 52 0.43% | Julian Koziak |
| Edmonton-Whitemud | | Peter Knaak 6,833 57.54% | | Larry Heth 939 7.91% | | Ted Paszek 2,122 17.87% | | Don Milliken 1,964 16.54% | | | Donald Ross Getty |
| Edson | | Ian Reid 4,517 53.62% | | W.L. Land 676 8.02% | | Ron Hodgins 2,958 35.11% | | Herbert Maris 260 3.09% | | | Robert W. Dowling |
| Grande Prairie | | Elmer Borstad 6,313 50.12% | | Donald Wood 3,380 26.84% | | Campbell Ross 2,266 17.99% | | Helen Rice 601 4.77% | | | Winston Backus |
| Highwood | | George Wolstenholme 5,103 66.35% | | Don Dixon 2,092 27.20% | | William C. McCutcheon 281 3.65% | | Joan Cowling 191 2.48% | | | George Wolstenholme |
| Innisfail | | Nigel I. Pengelly 4,263 55.38% | | Stuart Little 2,921 37.94% | | Tim Guilbault 371 4.82% | | Janet Gratton 101 1.31% | | | Clifford L. Doan |
| Lac La Biche-McMurray | | Norman A. Weiss 3,431 49.68% | | Conrad Sehn 1,347 19.50% | | Claire E. Williscroft 1,777 25.73% | | Denise Diesel 320 4.63% | | | Ron Tesolin |
| Lacombe | | John William Cookson 4,458 64.11% | | Elmer Suominen 1,409 20.26% | | Arthur Wigmore 717 10.31% | | Roger C. Holteen 260 3.74% | | Gordon Crofton (Ind.) 85 1.22% | John William Cookson |
| Lesser Slave Lake | | Larry R. Shaben 2,313 45.82% | | Peter Moore 1,743 34.53% | | Mike Poulter 799 15.83% | | Dan Backs 171 3.39% | | | Larry R. Shaben |
| Lethbridge-East | | Archibald Dick Johnston 5,870 59.35% | | Roxie McCallum 1,223 12.37% | | Roger Rickwood 692 7.00% | | Frank Merkl 666 6.73% | | Ken Kotkas (Ind. Con.) 1,375 13.99% | Archibald Dick Johnston |
| Lethbridge-West | | John Gogo 5,682 64.60% | | Jerry Waldern 1,625 18.47% | | Ron Clark 971 11.04% | | Bob Wilson 511 5.81% | | | John Gogo |
| Little Bow | | Richard Papworth 1,684 29.37% | | Raymond Albert Speaker 3,748 65.38% | | Beth Jantzie 236 4.12% | | John W. Fujimargari 43 0.75% | | | Raymond Albert Speaker |
| Lloydminster | | James Edgar Miller 4,674 78.49% | | Patrick A. Moore 445 7.47% | | Elinar A. Jonson 680 11.42% | | Gregory R. Berry 131 2.20% | | | James Edgar Miller |
| Macleod | | LeRoy Fjordbotten 4,189 58.79% | | Roelof A. Heinen 2,369 33.25% | | Kathleen M. Cairns 384 5.39% | | Alfred Saddleback 171 2.40% | | | Thomas James John Walker |
| Medicine Hat | | James Horsman 10,107 72.59% | | Lee Anderson 1,904 13.67% | | Frances Ost 1,134 8.14% | | Louise Mercier 729 5.24% | | | |
| Olds-Didsbury | | Bill Edgar 2,514 27.50% | | Robert Curtis Clark 6,399 70.00% | | Gregory Hoffarth 152 1.66% | | Stephen Shaw 55 0.60% | | | Robert Curtis Clark |
| Peace River | | Al (Boomer) Adair 3,901 59.77% | | Garry Gaudet 784 12.01% | | Richard Collins 1,604 24.57% | | Donald W. Freeland 234 3.59% | | | Al (Boomer) Adair |
| Pincher Creek-Crowsnest | | Frederick Deryl Bradley 3,567 60.43% | | Robert (Bob) Westrop 1,503 25.46% | | Ian Downie 628 10.64% | | Ann Gill 181 3.07% | | | Frederick Deryl Bradley |
| Ponoka | | Donald J. McCrimmon 3,317 50.17% | | Roy Kinley 1,856 28.07% | | Bruce A. Beck 1,279 19.34% | | Gus Itzek 113 1.71% | | | Donald J. McCrimmon |
| Red Deer | | Norman F. Magee 5,727 43.14% | | Bob Mills 5,406 40.72% | | Ken McMillan 1,861 14.02% | | Hubert Bouten 258 1.94% | | | James L. Foster |
| Redwater-Andrew | | George Topolnisky 3,945 52.31% | | Erwin Hannig 547 7.25% | | Steve Leskiw 2,870 38.05% | | Rudolph Pisesky 148 1.96% | | | George Topolnisky |
| Rocky Mountain House | | John Murray Campbell 4,080 52.99% | | Lavern J. Ahlstrom 2,628 34.13% | | John Younie 871 11.31% | | Roger Hamilton 104 1.35% | | | Helen Hunley |
| Smoky River | | Marvin Moore 3,032 51.85% | | Bernard Lamoureux 854 14.60% | | Anne Hemmingway 1,743 29.81% | | Stephen V. Marchand 214 3.66% | | | Marvin Moore |
| Spirit River-Fairview | | Jim Reynolds 2,668 39.43% | | Aubrey Milner 356 5.26% | | Grant W. Notley 3,657 54.05% | | Terry Fletcher 68 1.01% | | | Grant W. Notley |
| St. Albert | | Myrna Fyfe 9,361 58.68% | | Reginald C. Petch 1,686 10.57% | | Robert (Bob) Borreson 3,178 19.92% | | Gerry Thibault 1,681 10.54% | | | William Ernest Jamison |
| St. Paul | | Charles E. Anderson 3,173 46.26% | | John Hull 582 8.49% | | Laurent (Jeff) Dubois 2,854 41.61% | | Orest Boyko 219 3.19% | | | Mick Fluker |
| Stettler | | Graham L. Harle 4,262 69.94% | | David Thomas 1,191 19.54% | | Fred J. Rappel 503 8.25% | | Douglas Cramer 110 1.81% | | | Graham L. Harle |
| Stony Plain | | William Frederick Purdy 6,927 58.94% | | Oscar Venoasen 2,274 19.35% | | Sara Johnson 1,218 10.36% | | Andy R. McKinnon 1,250 10.64% | | Eleanor T. Louden (Ind. Con.) 83 0.71% | William Frederick Purdy |
| Taber-Warner | | Robert Bogle 5,010 64.98% | | Paul Primeau 2,108 27.34% | | Larry Schowalter 214 2.78% | | Jessie Snow 335 4.35% | | | Robert Bogle |
| Three Hills | | Connie Osterman 4,401 59.32% | | Henry Goerzen 2,660 35.85% | | Hugh Sommerville 222 2.99% | | Ward Sykes 124 1.67% | | | Allan Warrack |
| Vegreville | | John S. Batiuk 3,835 48.99% | | Robert E. Robert 1,210 15.46% | | Harry Babchuk 2,490 31.81% | | Alan Arthur Vinet 269 3.44% | | | John S. Batiuk |
| Vermilion-Viking | | Tom Lysons 3,292 51.46% | | Doug Livingstone 2,087 32.62% | | Grant Bergman 877 13.71% | | Ralph A. Wilson 118 1.84% | | | Tom Lysons |
| Wainwright | | Charles Stewart 3,489 56.36% | | Keith Cornish 2,103 33.97% | | Alan Richards 509 8.22% | | Sultan Tejani 77 1.24% | | | Charles Stewart |
| Wetaskiwin-Leduc | | Dallas Schmidt 8,216 58.69% | | Reinhold Ortlieb 2,702 19.30% | | Earl R. Rasmuson 2,372 16.94% | | Brian King 677 4.84% | | | Dallas Schmidt |
| Whitecourt | | Peter Trynchy 3,834 57.64% | | George L. Richardson 1,214 18.25% | | Ken Forscutt 1,442 21.68% | | | | | Peter Trynchy |