1997 Alberta general election|
|
|
|
Turnout | 53.75% |
---|
|
Majority party
|
Minority party
|
|
|
LIB
|
Leader
|
Ralph Klein
|
Grant Mitchell
|
Party
|
Progressive Conservative
|
Liberal
|
Leader since
|
December 14, 1992
|
November 13, 1994
|
Leader's seat
|
Calgary-Elbow
|
Edmonton-McClung
|
Last election
|
51 seats, 44.49%
|
32 seats, 39.73%
|
Seats before
|
52
|
31
|
Seats won
|
63
|
18
|
Seat change
|
11
|
13
|
Popular vote
|
483,914
|
309,748
|
Percentage
|
51.17%
|
32.75%
|
Swing
|
6.7%
|
6.98%
|
|
|
Third party
|
Fourth party
|
|
NDP
|
SC
|
Leader
|
Pam Barrett
|
Randy Thorsteinson
|
Party
|
New Democratic
|
Social Credit
|
Leader since
|
1996
|
1993
|
Leader's seat
|
Edmonton-Highlands
|
ran in Red Deer-South (lost)
|
Last election
|
0 seats, 11.01%
|
0 seats, 2.41%
|
Seats before
|
0
|
0
|
Seats won
|
2
|
0
|
Seat change
|
2
|
0
|
Popular vote
|
83,292
|
64,667
|
Percentage
|
8.81%
|
6.84%
|
Swing
|
2.2%
|
4.43%
|
|
|
The 1997 Alberta general election was held on March 11, 1997, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
The Progressive Conservative government led by Premier Ralph Klein won its eighth consecutive mandate going back to 1971, increasing its share of votes and seats in the Legislature relative to the previous election in 1993. The Liberal Party retained Official Opposition status, though it lost nearly half its seats. After an electoral wipeout in 1993, the NDP returned to the Legislature by winning two seats.