Bob Russell (Canadian politician)

Robert A. "Bob" Russell is a politician in Alberta, a former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party, and a former municipal councillor in St. Albert, Alberta.

A realtor by profession, Russell first came to prominence by running for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1966. He was defeated by Calgary lawyer Adrian Berry, but nevertheless ran in the 1967 provincial election as a Liberal in the riding of St. Albert. He finished second of four candidates, 527 votes behind Keith Everitt of Social Credit. In 1969 he ran for the party's leadership again, losing this time to another Calgarian, John T. Lowery. The party had no seats in the legislature at this point, and Lowery responded by exploring coalition options with Social Credit. These explorations were opposed by much of the party's membership, including Russell, and Lowery resigned from the leadership without contesting an election. This time, Russell was successful in becoming Liberal leader.

He led the party in the 1971 election, in which it was unsuccessful in winning any seats. Russell himself finished third in St. Albert. Two years later, in a Calgary-Foothills by-election resulting from the death of Len Werry, Russell placed a distant fourth. Following this defeat, he resigned the party leadership in 1974 and was succeeded by Nick Taylor. After leaving provincial politics, Russell became the President of the Liberal Party of Canada in Alberta.

During the 1984 federal election, Russell ran as a Liberal in the riding of Pembina. He finished third, as Progressive Conservative Peter Elzinga received more than seventy percent of the vote.

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