With a number of former MLAs having declared their intentions to seek their party candidacies in the next election (David Eggen, Rick Miller, Weslyn Mather, and Mo Elsalhy), I thought it would be interesting to take a look at other former MLAs who launched successful and not so successful comeback attempts. By my count, thirteen former MLAs have attempted a comeback since the 1997 General Election, meaning that most former MLAs stay former. Of this group only six have successfully returned to the Assembly.
| Candidate | Party | Constituency | Vote | Result | Previous Office |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 General Election | |||||
| Albert Ludwig | Liberal | Calgary-Foothills | 29.7% | Defeated | Social Credit MLA Calgary-North East (1959-1963), Calgary-East (1963-1971), Calgary-Mountain View (1971-1975) |
| Alex McEachern | NDP | Edmonton-Calder | 27.3% | Defeated | NDP MLA Edmonton-Kingsway (1986-1993) |
| Pam Barrett | NDP | Edmonton-Highlands | 50.6% | Elected | NDP MLA Edmonton-Highlands (1986-1993) |
| Don MacDonald | Social Credit | Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills | 28.1% | Defeated | Liberal MLA Three Hills (1992-1993) |
| 1998 By-Election | |||||
| Nancy MacBeth | Liberal | Edmonton-McClung | 53.6% | Elected | PC MLA Edmonton-Glenora (1986-1993) |
| 2000 By-Election | |||||
| Terry Kirkland | Liberal | Edmonton-Highlands | 18.3% | Defeated | Liberal MLA Leduc (1993-1997) |
| 2001 General Election | |||||
| Andrew Beniuk | PC | Edmonton-Glengarry | 44.9% | Defeated | Liberal/PC MLA Edmonton-Norwood (1993-1997) |
| Len Bracko | Liberal | St. Albert | 41.2% | Defeated | Liberal MLA St. Albert (1993-1997) |
| 2004 General Election | |||||
| Ray Martin | NDP | Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview | 50.8% | Elected | NDP MLA Edmonton-Norwood (1982-1993) |
| Walter Szwender | PC | Edmonton-Decore | 30.4% | Defeated | PC MLA Edmonton-Belmont (1982-1986) |
| 2008 General Election | |||||
| Broyce Jacobs | PC | Cardston-Taber-Warner | 46.2% | Elected | PC MLA Cardston-Taber-Warner (2001-2004) |
| Tony Vandermeer | PC | Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview | 39.6% | Elected | PC MLA Edmonton-Manning (2001-2004) |
| Andrew Beniuk | PC | Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood | 31.9% | Defeated | Liberal/PC MLA Edmonton-Norwood (1993-1997) |
| 2009 By-Election | |||||
| Paul Hinman | Wildrose | Calgary-Glenmore | 36.8% | Elected | Wildrose MLA Carston-Taber-Warner (2004-2008) |
