# Charles Richmond Mitchell

Charles Richmond Mitchell (November 30, 1872 – August 16, 1942) was a Canadian lawyer, judge, cabinet minister and former Leader of the Official Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.

## Early life

Mitchell was born in Newcastle, New Brunswick. At the time, the Mitchells were a prominent local family: Mitchell's father was the Sheriff of Northumberland County and his uncle was Peter Mitchell, a senator and later Premier of New Brunswick.
He went to the University of New Brunswick and King's College and took the New Brunswick bar exam in 1897. The next year he moved to Medicine Hat, at that time in the Northwest Territories, and opened a thriving legal practice. He was appointed as a Judge in 1907 for the Calgary District Court.

## Cabinet minister

A Liberal politician, Mitchell was first elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly in a by-election in Medicine Hat provincial electoral district on June 29, 1910, after Premier Arthur L.W. Sifton appointed him to the cabinet on June 1.
Mitchell held two cabinet portfolios as the Minister of Education and the Attorney General of the province. He would serve both portfolios for 2 years until he became Minister of Public Works on May 4, 1912, and dropped the others. In the 1913 Alberta general election Mitchell lost his seat to Nelson Spencer from the Conservative Party. Mitchell was the only Cabinet minister defeated that election, but his was one of a few high-profile defeats across the province.
After his defeat in the 1913 general election, George Lane, the MLA for Bow Valley, resigned to provide a seat for Minister Mitchell. On June 12, 1913, he was acclaimed and again rejoined the government. He would serve Bow Valley as its MLA until his resignation in 1926.
Mitchell was reappointed to the Sifton Cabinet as the provincial Treasurer on November 28, 1913. He became the first Treasurer in Alberta history not to serve simultaneously as premier. He held that position until the United Farmers of Alberta defeated the government in 1921.
On April 29, 1920, Mitchell was appointed to be Minister of Municipal Affairs, in addition to being the Treasurer.

## Defeat of government

Mitchell was one of the few Liberal Party members to survive the defeat of the government in 1921. After John Robert Boyle resigned to take a judicial position on October 27, 1924, Mitchell became the fifth leader of the Liberal Party of Alberta. He would serve as Leader of the Official Opposition until he was appointed in 1926 as a Justice to the Supreme Court of Alberta Appellate Division, when he vacated his seat and position as Liberal leader. He resigned not long before the 1926 provincial election, which the UFA won with an increased majority.
He retired from the judiciary in 1936.

## Death

Mitchell died in 1942 in Edmonton, Alberta.

## Electoral record
### 1910 by-election

vteAlberta provincial by-election, June 29, 1910: Medicine Hat Upon the resignation of William T. Finlay :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Richmond Mitchell | 1,134 | 62.86% | -8.80% |
| | Conservative | Walter Huckvale | 670 | 37.14% | 8.80% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,804 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | N/A | N/A | – |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -8.80% |
| Source(s) "By-elections". elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved June 24, 2020. |||||||

### 1913 general election

vte1913 Alberta general election: Medicine Hat :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nelson Spencer | 1,843 | 50.27% | 12.58% |
| | Liberal | Charles Richmond Mitchell | 1,823 | 49.73% | -12.58% |
| Total | Total | Total | 3,666 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | N/A | N/A | – |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | -12.58% |
| Source(s) Source: "Medicine Hat Official Results 1913 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||
vteAlberta provincial by-election, June 12, 1913: Bow Valley :
| Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal | Charles Richmond Mitchell | Acclaimed |
| Called due to resignation of G. Lane to provide seat |||||||
| Source: "By-elections for the Period of 1905 – 1973". Elections Alberta. Retrieved 2015-06-30. |||||||
vte1917 Alberta general election: Bow Valley :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Richmond Mitchell | 604 | 58.13% | -3.65% |
| | Conservative | Edmund F. Purcell | 435 | 41.87% | 3.65% |
| Total | Total | Total | 1,039 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 1,466 | 70.87% | 11.58% |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | -3.65% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1917 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||
vte1921 Alberta general election: Bow Valley :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal | Charles Richmond Mitchell | 1,694 | 72.30% | 14.17% |
| | United Farmers | George A. Love | 649 | 27.70% | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 2,343 | – | – |
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | Rejected, spoiled and declined | N/A | – | – |
| Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | Eligible electors / turnout | 2,669 | N/A | N/A |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | 14.17% |
| Source(s) Source: "Bow Valley Official Results 1921 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. |||||||