Randy Thorsteinson
|
|
Randy Thorsteinson (born November 8, 1956) is a politician in Alberta, Cnada.
Thorsteinson graduated from Brigham Young University in 1980 with a major in business management. Following various business ventures, he entered politics as an activist for the Reform Party of Canada in 1988. He joined the Alberta Social Credit Party in 1991, and became leader the following year.
Under Thorsteinson, Social Credit experienced the beginnings of a rebirth, and in the 1997 general election, the party nominated 70 candidates and collected almost seven per cent of the popular vote, but failed to win any seats in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
By 1999, however, Thorsteinson, a convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was at odds with his party after the Social Credit executive moved to limit the involvement of Latter-day Saints. Thorsteinson quit the party in April 1999, and later formed the Alberta Alliance, whose leadership he assumed in February 2003.
Thorsteinson's new party gained momentum immediately following the 2004 federal election when Edmonton—Norwood Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) Gary Masyk crossed the floor to join the Alberta Alliance. He was the Alberta Alliance's first MLA.
Later that year in the Alberta general election, 2004, Thorsteinson placed a distant second in votes in his riding of Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, failing to become a MLA. His party won one seat in the election; Paul Hinman was elected MLA for the riding of Cardston-Taber-Warner.
On March 7, 2005, Thorsteinson announced his resignation as leader of the Alberta Alliance, saying he would not be able to devote the time and energy into the party. Paul Hinman, the lone Alliance MLA in the legislature, is mentioned as a possible candidate to succeed Thorsteinson.
Although he has stepped down as leader, he is the current Interim Chief Finacial Officer of the party, as well as Riding President for Innisfail-Sylvan Lake