I’ve heard two separate rumours that Edmonton Strathcona ND MLA Raj Pannu is planning to retire this fall to clear the way for Larry Booi to contest the seat in a by-election for the Dippers.
Pannu, 71, was elected as the MLA for Edmonton Strathcona in 1997 in a close 3-way race which saw Pannu defeat Liberal Mary MacDonald by less than 60 votes with Tory John Logan less than 200 votes behind. He was the Alberta NDP Leader from 2000 to 2004 and led to them to a massive 2-seat landslide in 2001!
Larry Booi, former Alberta Teacher’s Association President, ran for the ND’s in Edmonton Glenora during last November’s provincial election. He was defeated by Liberal Bruce Miller.
Here are the results from Edmonton Strathcona since 1989:
1989
Gordon Wright, ND- 6,696
Philip Lister, Lib- 4,237
Jack Scott, PC- 3,724
1990* By-Election
Nadene Thomas, Lib- 2,252
Eric Young, PC- 1,512
Betty Paschen, Grn- 424
Robert Alford, SC- 224
1993
Al Zariwny, Lib- 6,542
Don Grimble, PC- 4,071
Patrick Ellis, SC- 460
Betty Paschen, Grn- 253
Ben Toane, NLP- 108
Noami Rankin, Com- 47
1997
Raj
Mary MacDonald, Lib- 4,214
John Logan, PC- 4,096
John Forget,
Myles Kitagawa, Grn- 236
Eshwar Jagdeo, NLP- 47
2001
Raj
John Logan, PC- 4,749
Jim Jacuta, Lib- 1,944
James Lakinn, AFP- 136
2004
Raj
Shannon Stubbs, PC- 2,256
Steven Leard, Lib- 1,850
Adrian Cole, Grn- 287
Jeremy Burns, AA- 275
Kelly Graham, SC- 162
