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Roy Romanow
Twelfth Premier of Saskatchewan
1991 to 2001

This article is the Electoral history of Roy Romanow, the twelfth Premier of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. He served from 1991 to 2001.

Romanow led the Saskatchewan New Democratic Party (NDP) in three general elections, in 1991, 1995, and 1999. He won majority governments in 1991 and 1995, and a minority government in 1999. He was the second of three NDP premiers to date.

Romanow stood for election to the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan nine times, in the general elections of 1967, 1971, 1975, 1978, 1982, 1986, 1991, 1995 and 1999. He was elected eight times and defeated once, in the 1982 general election.

Romanow sought the leadership of the NDP twice, in 1970 and 1987. In the 1970 leadership convention, he was defeated by Allan Blakeney, coming in second. He was elected by acclamation at the 1987 convention.

Romanow retired from provincial politics in 2001, and was succeeded as leader of the NDP and Premier of Saskatchewan by Lorne Calvert.

Summary

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Romanow was the sixth-longest serving Premier of the fifteen Premiers of Saskatchewan. He was in office from November 1, 1991 to February 8, 2001, for a total of 9 years, 99 days.[1]

Romanow led the New Democratic Party in three provincial general elections: 1991, 1995, and 1999. He won a majority government in his first election as leader, in 1991, defeating Premier Grant Devine, leader of the Progressive Conservatives.[2] Devine resigned as Premier and was succeeded by Romanow. As Premier, Romanow won a majority government in the next election, in 1995, but in 1999 was returned with a minority. Romanow formed a coalition government with the Liberal members of the Legislative Assembly.[3] In 2000, he announced his retirement from politics.[4] He resigned as leader of the NDP and as Premier in 2001, and was succeeded by Lorne Calvert. Romanow also resigned his seat in Saskatoon Riversdale, which Calvert subsequently won in the resulting by-election.

Romanow was a member of the Cabinet in the government of Allan Blakeney, serving as Attorney General for Saskatchewan from 1971 to 1982, as well as Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs from 1979 to 1982.[5]

Romanow's political career began in 1967, when he was elected a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan for the constituency of Saskatoon Riversdale. It was the first of nine elections, in which Romanow was elected eight times, with vote tallies ranging from 57.9% to 70.9%. He was defeated only once, in the 1982 general election, when the NDP government was defeated. Romanow was defeated in his own constituency, in an extremely close election: he fell only nineteen votes behind the PC candidate, Jo-Ann Zazelenchuk. The NDP challenged the results under the provincial Controverted Elections Act, but the courts upheld the election result.[6] Romanow thought that his political career might be over, but successfully ran again in the next election, at the urgings of his colleagues.[4] Successful in the 1986 general election, he won the seat three more times.

Overall, Romanow was a member of the Legislative Assembly for over thirty years, the longest of any premier of Saskatchewan.

Saskatchewan general elections, 1991 to 1999

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Romanow led the NDP in three general elections: 1991, 1995, and 1999. He won the first two elections with majority governments, but was returned with a minority government in 1999.

1991 General election

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In his first election as leader of the NDP, Romanow won a major victory. He and the NDP won fifty-five seats in the sixty-six seat Legislative Assembly. Premier Grant Devine and the PCs were badly defeated, winning only ten seats. Devine resigned as Premier and Romanow became Premier. The Saskatchewan Liberal Party won one seat, namely their leader Lynda Haverstock.

Saskatchewan General Election: October 21, 1991
Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular Vote
Percentage
  New Democratic Party Roy Romanow1 55 275,780 51.0%
Progressive Conservative Grant Devine2 10 137,994 25.5%
Liberal Lynda Haverstock 1 125,814 23.3%
  Independent 0 592 0.1%
  Independence/Western Canada Concept 0 46 0.0%3
Total 66 540,226 99.9%4
Source: Elections Saskatchewan - Elections Results - 1991

1 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; Premier after election.
2 Premier when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after the election.
3 Rounds to zero.
4 Rounding error.

1995 General election

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In his second election as leader of the NDP, Romanow was re-elected with a majority government, although with a reduced number of seats. The Liberals under Lynda Haverstock won eleven seats, while the PCs, led by Bill Boyd, were reduced to five seats.

Saskatchewan General Election: June 21, 1995
Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular Vote
Percentage
  New Democratic Party Roy Romanow1 42 193,053 47.2%
Liberal Lynda Haverstock2 11 141,873 34.7%
Progressive Conservative Bill Boyd3 5 73,269 17.9%
  Independent 0 712 0.2%
Total 58 408,907 100.0%
Source: Elections Saskatchewan - Elections Results - 1995

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election.
2 Leader of third party when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after the election.
3 Leader of the Opposition when election was called; leader of third party after the election.

1999 General election

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In his third election as leader of the NDP, Romanow was reduced to a minority government with twenty-nine members, one short of a majority. The new Saskatchewan Party under Elwin Hermanson came in second, with twenty-five seats, while the Liberals under Jim Melenchuk were reduced to four seats. The NDP came in second in the total popular vote, with the Saskatchewan Party having the plurality. Romanow formed a coalition government with the Liberals.

Saskatchewan General Election: September 16, 1999
Party Leaders Seats Won Popular Vote Popular Vote
Percentage
  New Democratic Party Roy Romanow1 29 157,046 38.7%
  Saskatchewan Party Elwin Hermanson2 25 160,603 39.6%
Liberal Jim Melenchuk 4 81,694 20.1%
  New Green Alliance Neil Sinclair 0 4,101 1.0%
Progressive Conservative Iris Dennis 0 1,609 0.4%
  Independent 0 422 0.1%
Total 58 405,475 99.9%3
Source: Elections Saskatchewan - Elections Results - 1999

1 Premier when election was called; Premier after election.
2 Did not have a seat in the Legislative Assembly when election was called; Leader of the Opposition after the election.
3 Rounding error.

Saskatchewan constituency elections, 1967 to 1999

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Romanow stood for election to the Legislative Assembly nine times, all in the riding of Saskatoon Riversdale. He was elected eight times and defeated once, in the general election of 1982. Overall, he held the seat for over thirty years.

1967 General election: Saskatoon Riversdale

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General Election, October 11, 1967: Saskatoon Riversdale
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party Yes Roy Romanow 4,888 58.4%
Liberal Margaret Gent 2,327 27.8%
Progressive Conservative Emanuel Sonnenschein 1,160 13.9%
Total 8,375 100.1%1
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Saskatoon Riversdale

Yes Elected.
1 Rounding error.

1971 General election: Saskatoon Riversdale

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General Election, June 23, 1971: Saskatoon Riversdale
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party Yes X Roy Romanow 4,888 64.0%
Liberal James F. Weber 2,751 36.0%
Total 7,639 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Saskatoon Riversdale

Yes Elected.
X Incumbent.

1975 General election: Saskatoon Riversdale

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General Election, June 11, 1975: Saskatoon Riversdale
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party Yes X Roy Romanow 4,172 62.4%
Progressive Conservative Gary Barnes 1,551 23.2%
Liberal William Stadnyk 961 14.4%
Total 6,684 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Saskatoon Riversdale

Yes Elected.
X Incumbent.

1978 General election: Saskatoon Riversdale

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General Election, October 18, 1978: Saskatoon Riversdale
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party Yes X Roy Romanow 5,225 64.7%
Progressive Conservative Mary Cherneskey 2,205 27.3%
Liberal Nestor W. Romaniuk 640 7.9%
Total 8,070 99.9%1
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Saskatoon Riversdale

Yes Elected.
X Incumbent.
1 Rounding error.

1982 General election: Saskatoon Riversdale

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General Election, April 26, 1982: Saskatoon Riversdale
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
Progressive Conservative Yes Jo-Ann Zazelenchuk 3,576 47.3%
  New Democratic Party X Roy Romanow 3,557 47.0%
Liberal Harold Flett 228 3.0%
  Aboriginal People's Party Joe Gallagher 143 1.9%
  Independent Alexander V. Barker 57 0.8%
Total 7,561 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Saskatoon Riversdale

Yes Elected.
X Incumbent.

1986 General election: Saskatoon Riversdale

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General Election, October 20, 1986: Saskatoon Riversdale
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party Yes Roy Romanow 5,490 68.5%
Progressive Conservative X Jo-Ann Zazelenchuk 2,114 26.4%
Liberal Bernardine Droesse 408 5.1%
Total 8,012 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Saskatoon Riversdale

Yes Elected.
X Incumbent.

1991 General election: Saskatoon Riversdale

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General Election, October 21, 1991: Saskatoon Riversdale
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party Yes X Roy Romanow 5,254 70.9%
Liberal Gary La Plante 1,398 18.9%
Progressive Conservative Gay Caswell 761 10.3%
Total 7,413 100.1%1
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Saskatoon Riversdale

Yes Elected.
X Incumbent.
1 Rounding error.

1995 General election: Saskatoon Riversdale

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General Election, June 21, 1995: Saskatoon Riversdale
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party Yes X Roy Romanow 3,715 68.2%
Liberal Fred Langford 1,242 22.8%
Progressive Conservative Jordon Cooper 412 7.6%
  Independent Eugene Pasap 80 1.5%
Total 5,449 100.1%1
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Saskatoon Riversdale

Yes Elected.
X Incumbent.
1 Rounding error.

1999 General election: Saskatoon Riversdale

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General Election, September 16, 1999: Saskatoon Riversdale
Party Candidate Popular Vote %
  New Democratic Party Yes X Roy Romanow 3,130 57.9%
  Saskatchewan Party Mark Coderre 1,060 19.6%
Liberal David Pillipow 923 17.1%
  New Green Alliance Neil Sinclair 167 3.1%
Progressive Conservative Glenn Schriener 127 2.3%
Total 5,407 100.0%
Source: Saskatchewan Archives - Election Results by Electoral Division - Saskatoon Riversdale

Yes Elected.
X Incumbent.

NDP Leadership elections

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Romanow stood for election as leader of the NDP twice, in 1970 and in 1987. He was defeated by Allan Blakeney in 1970, but was acclaimed in 1987.

1970 Leadership election

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When Woodrow Lloyd retired as leader, the NDP held a leadership convention in 1970. Romanow led on the first two ballots, but was defeated by Allan Blakeney on the third ballot.

NDP Leadership Convention, July 4, 1970
Voting results by ballot
Candidate First Ballot Second Ballot Third Ballot
Votes cast % Votes cast % Votes cast %
Allan Blakeney 286 33.6% 311 36.6% 407 53.8%
Roy Romanow 300 35.3% 320 37.6% 349 46.2%
Don Mitchell 187 22.0% 219 25.8%
George Taylor 78 9.2%
Total 851 100.1%1 850 100.0% 756 100.0

1 Rounding error.

1987 Leadership election

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The NDP held a leadership election on November 7, 1987, following the retirement of Allan Blakeney. Romanow was the only candidate for the leadership and was acclaimed.

References

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