Archibald D. Johnston

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Archibald Dick Johnston (born March 5, 1940 died June 25, 2003) is a former provincial politician from Alberta, Canada. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1975 to 1993.

[edit] Political career

Johnston ran for a seat in the Alberta Legislature in the 1975 Alberta general election as a candidate for the Progressive Conservative Party in the Lethbridge East electoral district. He won the race with a landslide majority defeating incumbent Social Credit MLA John Anderson and two other candidates to win his first term in office.^[1] After the election Premier Peter Lougheed appointed Johnston to the cabinet as Minister of Municipal Affairs.

Johnston stood for a second term and won the 1979 Alberta general election handily. His plurality dropped quite a bit but he still easily defeated four other candidates.^[2] After winning his second term Lougheed moved him to be the new Minister of Intergovernmental Relations. He stood for a third term in office in the 1982 Alberta general election. He won the largest popular vote of his career, taking the district in a landslide and defeating four other candidates.^[3] He was moved to his third portfolio as the Minister of Advanced Education and Technology. Johnston ran for his fourth term in the 1986 Alberta general election. He would loose almost half of his popular vote from the previous general election, but still take the district comfortably.^[4] After the election, Johnston would be appointed to his most valuable portfolio yet as the Minister of Finance, holding that post until Ralph Klein became Premier in 1992. He would stand for office for one more term, running for office in the 1989 Alberta general election. He was returned to office, as his popular vote rebounded slightly from 1986. The two opposition candidates saw marginal increased support.^[5] He retired at dissolution of the Assembly in 1989. Johnston died on June 25, 2003.^[6]