Ira McLaughlin (January 5, 1891 – January 8, 1974) was a provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1944 to 1971 sitting with the Social Credit caucus in government. During his time in office he served as a cabinet minister in the government of Ernest Manning from 1962 to 1968..
McLaughlin ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature as a Social Credit candidate in the 1944 Alberta general election. He won the electoral district of Grande Prairie with a solid majority to pick it up for his party.[1][2]
He won a larger majority running for his second term in the 1948 general election. In that race he defeated two other candidates to hold his seat.[3]
McLaughlin ran for his third term in office in the 1952 general election. He held his vote to win the district while the two opposition candidates saw their support fall.[4] He ran for a fourth term in office in the 1955 general election. He defeated three other candidates while increasing his popular support.[5]
McLaughlin ran for a fifth term in the 1959 general election. His popularity kept increasing as he took the district with a margin of 65%.[6]
Premier Ernest Manning appointed McLaughlin to his cabinet as a Minister-without-portfolio on November 30, 1962. He went into the 1963 general election with ministerial advantage and was returned to power with another large majority.[7]
McLaughlin stood for his seventh and final term in the 1967 general election. He won the highest popular vote of his career easily winning over two other candidates.[8]
Social Credit chose a new leader on December 12, 1968. Premier Harry Strom did not invite McLaughlin back into cabinet. He retired from the legislature at dissolution in 1971.
References
^ abBill Scott (June 5, 2009). "The winningest MLA". Daily Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
