Barry Morishita
Barry Morishita is a Canadian politician currently serving as the leader of the Alberta Party since 2021.[1][2] He previously served on the city council of Brooks in 1998 and became the city's mayor in 2016.[3]
Barry Morishita | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader of the Alberta Party | |
| Assumed office September 1, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Jacquie Fenske (interim) |
| Mayor of Brooks | |
| In office 2016–2021 | |
| Preceded by | Martin Shields |
| Succeeded by | John Petrie |
| President of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association | |
| In office 2017–2021 | |
| Succeeded by | Angela Duncan (interim) |
| Brooks City Councilor | |
| In office 1998–2003 | |
| In office 2010–2015 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1966 (age 56–57) Brooks, Alberta, Canada |
| Political party | Alberta Party |
| Other political affiliations | Alberta Liberal Party (2001) |
| Spouse | Jeanne Morishita |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Rosemary High School |
Background
Morishita's father, born in 1945 in Tashme Internment Camp, moved to Brooks in the end of World War Two where Barry would eventually be born.[4]
He graduated Rosemary High School in 1983.[4]
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.[4]
Political career
Morishita was first elected in Brooks city council in 1998 at the age of thirty.[3] He was elected Mayor of Brooks in 2016 [5] and president of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association in 2017.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8][9][10]
Electoral record
| 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 | 12,692 | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 45 | |||||||
| Turnout | 12,695 | 35.51 | -30.27 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 35,872 | |||||||
| United Conservative hold | Swing | -7.48 | ||||||
| Elections Alberta[11] | ||||||||
| 2001 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 | 11,433 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 29 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 24,372 | 47.03% | 0.05% | |||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | -0.12% | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "Strathmore-Brooks Official Results 2001 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
References
- "We Have a New Leader". Alberta Party. Archived from the original on 2021-11-06. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- "Barry Morishita steps down as AM president to run for Alberta Party leader". edmontonjournal. Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- "Making the Alberta Party relevant is Barry Morishita's new job – daveberta.ca – Alberta Politics". Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- "Morishita always wanted to serve his community, now province | Alberta | prairiepost.com". 2021-09-28. Archived from the original on 2021-09-28. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- "Brooks voters choose new mayor in byelection". calgaryherald. Archived from the original on 2021-11-06. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- "2019 Board Elections | Alberta Urban Municipalities Association" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2023-01-28. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- "Former Brooks mayor Barry Morishita new leader of Alberta Party | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Archived from the original on 2023-03-04. Retrieved 2021-11-06.
- Sarah Moore (8 October 2022). "Danielle Smith will run in Brooks-Medicine Hat byelection". CBC News. Archived from the original on 3 November 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- Bennett, Dean (November 8, 2022). "Danielle Smith captures victory in Brooks-Medicine Hat byelection". CBC News. Archived from the original on December 10, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2022.
- Herring, Jason (2022-11-09). "Premier Danielle Smith wins byelection that gives her seat in Alberta legislature". National Post. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
- "By-Election November 8, 2022 - 52 - Brooks-Medicine Hat". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.