The Alberta general election of 1905 was the first general election held in the Province of Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It was held on 9 November 1905, to elect members of the Alberta legislature to the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly

1st Alberta Legislative Assembly

1st Legislative Assembly of Alberta lasted from November 9, 1905 to Monday, March 22, 1909.The government was led by Alexander Rutherford of the Alberta Liberal Party, they held an overwhelming majority of seats during the first legislature....

, shortly after the province was created out of the Northwest Territories

Northwest Territories

The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...

 on 1 September 1905.

The Alberta Liberal Party

Alberta Liberal Party

The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

 of Alexander C. Rutherford won twenty three of the twenty five seats in the new legislature, defeating the Conservative Party

Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta

The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...

, which was led by a young lawyer, Richard Bennett, who later served as Prime Minister of Canada.

Prior to the 1905 election the two political parties saw numerous changes and defections, In Alberta a host of former Liberal-Conservative

Northwest Territories Liberal-Conservative Party

The Northwest Territories Liberal-Conservative Party also known formally as the Liberal-Conservative Association prior to 1903 and the Territorial Conservative Association after 1903, was a short lived political party in the Northwest Territories, Canada. from 1897-1905...

 MLA's jumped ship to the Liberals, when Sir Wilfrid Laurier

Wilfrid Laurier

Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....

 appointed the Liberal provisional government prior to the election. The Conservatives had no strong leader to rally around at the time as Frederick Haultain

Frederick W. A. G. Haultain

Sir Frederick William Alpin Gordon Haultain was a lawyer and a long serving Canadian politician and judge. His career in provincial and territorial legislatures stretched into four decades...

, had moved to Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....

.

The election in 1905 was a bitter one, especially in Calgary

Calgary

Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...

 and Southern Alberta where the Liberals were accused of vote tampering and interfering with Conservative voters. Recounts especially in Calgary took almost a month and saw the result swing back and forth. The scandal led to the arrest of some key Liberal organizers, including William Cushing

William Cushing

William Cushing was an early Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, from its inception to his death. He was the longest-serving of the Court's original members, sitting on the bench for 21 years...

's campaign manager, who had been a returning officer at a Calgary polling station.

Results

Party		Party Leader	Candidates	Elected	Popular Vote
					#	%	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...	Alexander C. Rutherford	261	22	14,4853	57.56%	Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...	Richard Bennett	222	3	9,3163	37.13%	Independent		7	-	1,336	5.31%
Total			56	25	25,163	100%
Source: Elections Alberta

Note:

1. 2 Liberals contested the Peace River district after the results were voided.
2. Conservative L. Dubuc only contested the original Peace River election.
3. Vote returns for the first Peace River election are not included in totals.

Members of the Legislative Assembly elected

For complete electoral history, see individual districts > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

1st Alberta Legislative Assembly 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly 1st Legislative Assembly of Alberta lasted from November 9, 1905 to Monday, March 22, 1909.The government was led by Alexander Rutherford of the Alberta Liberal Party, they held an overwhelming majority of seats during the first legislature....
	District	Member	Party
Athabasca Athabasca (provincial electoral district) Athabasca was a provincial electoral district covering north east Alberta, Canada.The riding, was created in 1905 when Alberta first became a province...	William Bredin William Bredin William Fletcher Bredin was a Canadian politician and pioneer. Born in Stormont County, Ontario, he came west to Red Deer Crossing in 1883, where he took over a claim from Esias Myers. He subsequently moved to Calgary, where he opened a store with R. Steen, engaged in freighting between Calgary...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Banff Banff (provincial electoral district) Banff was a provincial electoral district, in south west Alberta, Canada.The riding has existed twice, the first incarnation was created in 1905 when Alberta formed as a province...	Charles W. Fisher Charles W. Fisher Charles Wellington Fisher was a Canadian politician who served as the first Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.-Biography:...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Calgary Calgary (provincial electoral district) Calgary was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada that existed from 1905 to 1913 and was recreated from 1921 to 1959. The district returned from one to six members to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta...	William Cushing William Henry Cushing William Henry Cushing was a Canadian politician. Born in Ontario, he migrated west as a young adult where he started a successful lumber company and later became Alberta's first Minister of Public Works and the 11th mayor of Calgary...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Cardston Cardston (provincial electoral district) Cardston was a provincial electoral district in southern Alberta, Canada.The riding was created in when Alberta first became a province in 1905.The riding has always occupied the most southern portion of the province along the Canada / United States border...	John William Woolf John William Woolf John William Woolf was an American-born Canadian politician who served in the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Born in Utah to polygamous parents, he moved with them to Cardston, Alberta as a young man...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Edmonton Edmonton (provincial electoral district) Edmonton provincial electoral district existed in two incarnations from 1905 - 1909 and again from 1921 - 1955. The district was created when Alberta first became a province....	Charles Wilson Cross	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Gleichen	Charles Stuart Charles Stuart (politician) Charles Allan Stuart was a Canadian politician and jurist in the province of Alberta. Born and educated in Ontario, he came west in 1897 and set up a law practice in Calgary. After a failed election bid to the Legislative Assembly of the Northwest Territories, he was elected to the Calgary City...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
High River High River (provincial electoral district) High River is a former provincial electoral district in Alberta that existed from 1905 to 1930.-1905 general election:-External links:*...	Albert Robertson Albert Robertson Albert John Robertson was a politician from Alberta, Canada, and the first Leader of the Opposition in the province's history. He led the Conservatives in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1909, before being defeated in the 1909 election....	Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
Innisfail Innisfail (provincial electoral district) Innisfail is a former Alberta provincial electoral district that existed from 1905 to 1993.-1905 general election:-External links:*...	John A. Simpson John A. Simpson John Adrian Simpson was a Canadian politician and businessman. Born in Peel County, Ontario, he came west in 1890 and eventually settled in Innisfail, where he opened a lumberyard...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Lacombe Lacombe (provincial electoral district) -1905 general election:-1957 liquor plebiscite:On October 30, 1957 a stand alone plebiscite was held province wide in all 50 of the then current provincial electoral districts in Alberta. The government decided to consult Alberta voters to decide on liquor sales and mixed drinking after a divisive...	William Puffer William Puffer William Franklin Puffer was a Canadian politician who served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 until 1917. Born in Ontario, he came west and settled in Lacombe, where he operated a butchery, among other interests...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Leduc Leduc (provincial electoral district) -1905 general election:-1957 liquor plebiscite:On October 30, 1957 a stand alone plebiscite was held province wide in all 50 of the then current provincial electoral districts in Alberta. The government decided to consult Alberta voters to decide on liquor sales and mixed drinking after a divisive...	Robert Telford Robert Telford Robert Taylor Telford was a Canadian pioneer and politician who served in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 until 1913. Born in Quebec, he came to western Canada to serve with the North-West Mounted Police during the North-West Rebellion...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Lethbridge Lethbridge (provincial electoral district) Lethbridge was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada.The riding has existed twice. The first incarnation was in 1905 when Alberta first became a province. Lethbridge covered a large patch of southern Alberta, It was broken into Lethbridge District and Lethbridge City in 1909...	Leverett DeVeber Leverett DeVeber Leverett George DeVeber was a Canadian politician who served as Member of the Legislative Assemblies of Alberta and the Northwest Territories, minister in the government of Alberta, and member of the Senate of Canada...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Macleod Macleod (provincial electoral district) Macleod is a former provincial electoral district that existed from 1905 to 2004 in the province of Alberta.-1905 general election:-1957 liquor plebiscite:...	Malcolm McKenzie Malcolm McKenzie Malcolm McKenzie was a Canadian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta and, briefly, as Alberta Provincial Treasurer.-Early life:...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Medicine Hat Medicine Hat (provincial electoral district) Medicine Hat is an Albertan provincial electoral district, covering most of the city of Medicine Hat.Under the Alberta electoral boundary re-distribution of 2004, the constituency covers the portion of the city north of the South Saskatchewan River, the Trans-Canada Highway and Carry Drive...	William Finlay William Finlay William Thomas Finlay was a politician and cabinet minister in Alberta and Northwest Territories, Canada-Early life:...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Pincher Creek Pincher Creek (provincial electoral district) -1905 general election:The Pincher Creek electoral district was created in 1905 when Alberta became a province independent of the Northwest Territories. The district in its original boundaries occupied the southwestern region of the province when it was first created. The first general election...	John Plummer Marcellus John Plummer Marcellus John Plummer Marcellus was a politician and rancher from Alberta, Canada.-1905 election:...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Ponoka Ponoka (provincial electoral district) Ponoka was a provincial electoral district in the Canadian province of Alberta represented in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1986.-History:...	John R. McLeod John R. McLeod John Robert McLeod was a politician from Alberta, Canada.McLeod was born in Zorra, Ontario. He was elected to a term in the Alberta Legislature in the 1905 Alberta general election with a 110 vote plurality over Conservative candidate John Jackson...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Red Deer Red Deer (provincial electoral district) Red Deer was a provincial electoral district representing the city of Red Deer, Alberta in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1905 to 1986...	John T. Moore John T. Moore John Thomas Moore was a politician from Alberta, Canada.Moore was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1905 Alberta general election defeating high profile Conservative candidate and the founder of Red Deer Leonard Gaetz....	Liberal	Rosebud Rosebud (provincial electoral district) Rosebud was a historical Alberta provincial electoral district, created in 1905 when Alberta first became a province.The riding was short lived, however, as it disappeared in 1909 when it was split to form the ridings of Cochrane and Didsbury as well as the north part of Rocky Mountain.-1905...	Cornelius Hiebert Cornelius Hiebert Cornelius "Don" Hiebert was a politician from Alberta, Canada.-Early life:Hiebert was born in Sea of Azov, Russia and lived in Russia and attended school until he was 13 years old, when his family moved to Manitoba, Canada. He worked in a little general store until he decided to move to Didsbury,...	Conservative Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...	St. Albert St. Albert (provincial electoral district) St. Albert formally styled Saint Albert is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 83 current districts mandate to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta of Alberta, Canada....	Henry William McKenney Henry William McKenney Henry William McKenney was a politician from Alberta, Canada.-Political career:McKenney was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1905 Alberta general election in the provincial electoral district of St. Alberta...	Independent Liberal	Stony Plain Stony Plain (electoral district) Stony Plain originally styled Stonyplain is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting. From 1926 to 1957 Single Transferable Vote was used in the...	John McPherson	Liberal	Strathcona Strathcona (provincial electoral district) Strathcona is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Canada. It is not to be confused with Edmonton-Strathcona, another provincial electoral district within the city of Edmonton, or with the federal electoral district Edmonton-Strathcona.The riding of Strathcona...	Alexander Cameron Rutherford Alexander Cameron Rutherford Alexander Cameron Rutherford was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the first Premier of Alberta from 1905 to 1910. Born in Ormond, Ontario, he studied and practised law in Ottawa before moving with his family to the Northwest Territories in 1895...	Liberal	Sturgeon Sturgeon (provincial electoral district) Sturgeon is a former provincial electoral district that existed from 1905 to 1940 in Alberta, Canada.-1905 general election:-External links:*...	John R. Boyle John R. Boyle John Robert Boyle was a Canadian politician and jurist who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, a cabinet minister in the Government of Alberta, and a judge on the Supreme Court of Alberta. Born in Ontario, he came west and eventually settled in Edmonton, where he practiced...	Liberal	Vermilion	Matthew McCauley Matthew McCauley (politician) Matthew "Matt" McCauley was the first mayor of the city of Edmonton, and a member of the legislative assemblies of both the Northwest Territories and Alberta....	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Victoria Victoria (Alberta provincial electoral district) Victoria was a historical Alberta Provincial Electoral District. The riding was created in 1905 when Alberta became a province, and existed central north east part of the province....	Francis A. Walker	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
Wetaskiwin Wetaskiwin (provincial electoral district) Wetaskiwin is a former provincial electoral district in Alberta that existed from 1905 to 1971.-1905 general election:-1957 liquor plebiscite:...	Anthony Rosenroll Anthony Rosenroll Anthony Sigwart de Rosenroll was a politician and businessman in the Canadian province of Alberta. Born in Italy to a family of noble Swiss heritage, he spent his early adulthood in Australia and New Zealand before settling in Canada in 1895...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...

Peace River

James Cornwall

James Cornwall

Lieutenant Colonel James Kennedy "Peace River Jim" Cornwall was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1913 sitting with the Liberal caucus in government....

 was declared elected to the Peace River district on election night 1905 for the Liberal Party. The election results were overturned by significant irregularities leaving the seat vacant. A new election was held on 15 February 1906.

Thomas Brick declared his candidacy in the new election for the Liberals after being asked to run by a large group of people whom appeared at his homestead. He faced James Cornwall who attempted to re-win his seat and he also ran under the Liberal banner. The runner up candidate from the original 1905 election Conservative candidate Lucien Dubuc

Lucien Dubuc

Lucien Dubuc was a lawyer, judge and briefly a provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada.-Early life:Lucien Dubuc's father was Joseph Dubuc who was a prominent Canadian federal and provincial politician as well a pioneer lawyer.-Political career:...

 did not run again leaving a rare two way race under the same party banner. Thomas Brick would go on to defeat James Cornwall in a landslide.

	District	Member	Party
Election Night				Peace River Peace River (provincial electoral district) Peace River is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting...	James Cornwall James Cornwall Lieutenant Colonel James Kennedy "Peace River Jim" Cornwall was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1909 to 1913 sitting with the Liberal caucus in government....	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
15 February 1906				Peace River Peace River (provincial electoral district) Peace River is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting...	Thomas Brick Thomas Brick Thomas Allan "Allie" Brick was a politician and farmer from Alberta, Canada.-Early life:Brick was a pioneer farmer who is largely credited with bringing grain farming to the northern Alberta.-Political career:...	Liberal Alberta Liberal Party The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...