Quick Facts
Biography
Barry Morishita is a Canadian politician who served as the leader of the Alberta Party from 2021 to 2023. He previously served on the city council of Brooks in 1998 and became the city's mayor in 2016.
Background
Morishita's father, born in 1945 in Tashme Internment Camp, moved to Brooks at the end of World War Two where Barry would eventually be born.
He graduated Rosemary High School in 1983.
In 1986, he married his wife, Jeanne.
Before his entry into politics he owned and operated an auto part store along with some business partners.
Political career
Morishita was first elected in Brooks city council in 1998 at the age of thirty. He was elected Mayor of Brooks in 2016and president of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association in 2017. In September 2021, he stepped down from both roles to become leader of the Alberta Party after the resignation of former party leader Stephen Mandel. He ran in a by-election for the southern Alberta seat of Brooks-Medicine Hat on November 8, 2022 but lost to the UCP candidate, Alberta premier Danielle Smith.
On October 15, 2023, Morishita resigned as leader of the Alberta Party.
Electoral record
2023 general election
| 2023 Alberta general election: Brooks-Medicine Hat | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| United Conservative | Danielle Smith | 13,315 | 66.49 | +5.83 | ||||
| New Democratic | Gwendoline Dirk | 5,477 | 27.35 | +9.46 | ||||
| Alberta Party | Barry Morishita | 1,233 | 6.16 | -0.77 | ||||
| Total | 20,025 | 99.54 | – | |||||
| Rejected and declined | 92 | 0.46 | ||||||
| Turnout | 20,117 | 56.85 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 35,385 | |||||||
| United Conservative hold | Swing | -1.82 | ||||||
Source(s) Source: Elections Alberta | ||||||||
2022 by-election
| Alberta provincial by-election, 8 November 2022: Brooks-Medicine Hat | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| United Conservative | Danielle Smith | 6,919 | 54.51 | -6.15 | ||||
| New Democratic | Gwendoline Dirk | 3,394 | 26.74 | +8.85 | ||||
| Alberta Party | Barry Morishita | 2,098 | 16.53 | +9.60 | ||||
| Alberta Independence | Bob Blayone | 225 | 1.77 | +0.80 | ||||
| Wildrose Independence | Jeevan Mangat | 56 | 0.44 | |||||
| Total valid votes | 12,692 | |||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 45 | |||||||
| Turnout | 12,695 | 35.51 | -30.27 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 35,872 | |||||||
| United Conservative hold | Swing | -7.48 | ||||||
| Elections Alberta | ||||||||
2001 general election
| 2001 Alberta general election: Strathmore-Brooks | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Lyle Oberg | 8,585 | 75.09% | 2.51% | ||||
| Liberal | Barry Morishita | 1,774 | 15.52% | 2.76% | ||||
| Independent | Christopher Sutherland | 511 | 4.47% | – | ||||
| New Democratic | Don MacFarlane | 290 | 2.54% | -3.48% | ||||
| Social Credit | Rudy Martens | 273 | 2.39% | -6.26% | ||||
| Total | 11,433 | – | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 29 | – | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / turnout | 24,372 | 47.03% | 0.05% | |||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | -0.12% | ||||||
Source(s) Source: "Strathmore-Brooks Official Results 2001 Alberta general election". Alberta Heritage Community Foundation. Retrieved May 21, 2020. | ||||||||
