Michael Maccagno

Michael "Mike" Maccagno
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
In office June 29, 1955 – May 27, 1968
Preceded by	Harry Lobay
Succeeded by	Damase Bouvier
Constituency	Lac La Biche
Leader of the Official Opposition in Alberta
In office 1964–1967
Preceded by	5 year vacancy, (last Grant MacEwan)
Succeeded by	Peter Lougheed
Leader of the Alberta Liberal Party
In office 1964–1966
Preceded by	Dave Hunter
Succeeded by	Adrian Berry
In office 1966–1968
Preceded by	Adrian Berry
Succeeded by	John T. Lowery
Personal details
Born	July 15, 1914
Died	November 25, 2000
Political party	Liberal
Occupation	businessman, politician

Michael "Mike" Maccagno (July 15, 1914 - November 25, 2000) was an provincial level politician from Alberta Canada. He served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1955 until he resigned in 1968. He twice lead the Alberta Liberal Party and became the first, and so far only, Italian-Canadian to lead a major political party in Canada.

Political career

Maccagno ran for a seat to the Alberta legislature in the 1955 provincial election as a candidate for the Alberta Liberals in the electoral district of Lac La Biche. He ran in a straight fight against incumbent Harry Lobay and ended up winning the district by a margin of less than 100 votes.^[1]

He would run for a second term in office in the 1959 provincial election. He faced two other candidates and despite losing some of his popular vote he was able to retain his seat.^[2] Maccagno was the only Liberal to win a seat in that election.

Maccagno would run for a third term in the 1963 Alberta general election. He would keep his seat in a hotly contested race against four other candidates. The vote among the challenging candidates was heavily divided, while Maccagno managed to slightly increase his.^[3]

Liberal leader Dave Hunter resigned after failing to win his seat. Maccagno became interim leader of the Alberta Liberals as well as Leader of the Official Opposition Leader. He became the first Italian Canadian to become head of a major political party in Canada.^[4] In 1966 Calgary Alderman Adrian Berry was chosen as Liberal leader, but resigned shortly after leaving Maccagno to resume the leadership.

Maccagno lead his party into the 1967 Alberta general election. Province wide the party lost over 8% of its popular vote from the last election. It did however pickup a new seat. The Liberals became the third party after the Progressive Conservatives under Peter Lougheed surged in the Assembly with six seats. In his district Maccagno faced Lobay again and another candidate. He managed to increase his popular vote from 1963 and was re-elected easily.^[5]

Maccagno resigned his seat in the Alberta legislature on May 27, 1968 to run for a seat to the Canadian House of Commons. He ran for the federal Liberals in the electoral district of Athabasca in the 1968 federal election. He ran in a hotly contested race against two other candidates but was defeated by Progressive Conservative candidate Paul Yewchuk, finishing second losing by about 1,200 votes.^[6] After the election he was subsequently appointed to the National Parole Board.^[7]

References

1. ^ "Lac La Biche results 1955". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1955&Constit=Lac_La_Biche. Retrieved December 13, 2009. 
2. ^ "Lac La Biche results 1959". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1959&Constit=Lac_La_Biche. Retrieved December 13, 2009. 
3. ^ "Lac La Biche results 1963". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1963&Constit=Lac_La_Biche. Retrieved December 13, 2009. 
4. ^ Paul R. Magocsi (1999). Encyclopedia of Canada's Peoples. University of Toronto Press. p. 820. ISBN 0-8020-2938-8. 
5. ^ "Lac La Biche results 1967". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1967&Constit=Lac_La_Biche. Retrieved December 13, 2009. 
6. ^ "Athabasca results". Parliament of Canada. June 25, 1968. http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=9645. Retrieved December 13, 2009. 
7. ^ "Archival Photos". National Parole Board. http://www.npb-cnlc.gc.ca/about/annivers/ap-eng.shtml. Retrieved December 13, 2009. 

External links

• Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing

Persondata
Name	Maccagno, Michael
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	July 15, 1914
Place of birth
Date of death	November 25, 2000
Place of death