Laila Goodridge
Laila Goodridge MP is a politician in Alberta, Canada, who has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake from the Conservative Party since 2021. She served as Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche from 2018 to 2021.
Laila Goodridge | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Canadian Parliament for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake | |
| Assumed office September 20, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | David Yurdiga |
| Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche Fort McMurray-Conklin (2018–2019) | |
| In office July 12, 2018 – August 15, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Brian Jean |
| Succeeded by | Brian Jean |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1986/1987 (age 34–35) Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada |
| Political party | Conservative (federal) United Conservative (provincial) |
| Other political affiliations | Wildrose (provincial, before 2017) |
| Education | BA Political Studies |
| Alma mater | University of Alberta (Campus Saint-Jean) |
Goodridge was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the Fort McMurray-Conklin by-election on July 12, 2018. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Francophonie on June 23.[1]
In August 2021 Goodridge resigned as MLA to run for the position of Fort McMurray—Cold Lake MP in the year's federal election. She was elected to Parliament on September 20, polling at least 67% of the votes to McDonald's 12.8%.[2]
Political career
Goodridge was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the Fort McMurray-Conklin by-election on July 12, 2018, after MLA Brian Jean resigned. She was re-elected to represent the constituency of Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche in the 30th Alberta Legislature in the 2019 Alberta general election on April 16, 2019. She was appointed Parliamentary Secretary for the Francophonie on June 23.[1] Goodridge is fluent in French and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from University of Alberta's Campus Saint-Jean.
In addition to serving as an MLA, Goodridge was the Chair of the Standing Committee on Families and Communities and a member of the Special Standing Committee on Members' Services and the Select Special Democratic Accountability Committee. In August 2021 she resigned as MLA to run for the position of Fort McMurray—Cold Lake MP in the 2021 Canadian federal election. The Conservative Party's selection of Goodridge as its parliamentary candidate was controversial as it was done without a nomination contest, and unnamed board members of Fort McMurray's Electoral District Association did not support nor recognize her appointment.[3] In fact, Goodridge's predecessor, David Yurdiga, endorsed the People's Party of Canada candidate Shawn McDonald instead of her.[4]
Nevertheless, she was elected to Parliament on September 20, when she polled at least 67% of the votes to McDonald's 12.8%.[2]
Personal life
Goodridge spent several years working in Alberta's oil sands.[5] Goodridge lived in Fort McMurray for her entire life and married her husband Niall in 2020.
Electoral results
2021 federal election
| 2021 Canadian federal election | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Conservative | Laila Goodridge | 29,242 | 67.8 | -12.1 | ||||
| People's | Shawn McDonald | 5,481 | 12.7 | +9.4 | ||||
| New Democratic | Garnett Robinson | 4,377 | 10.1 | +4.4 | ||||
| Liberal | Abdifatah Abdi | 3,060 | 7.1 | -2.4 | ||||
| Maverick | Jonathan Meyers | 479 | 1.1 | - | ||||
| Green | Brian Deheer | 423 | 1.0 | –0.7 | ||||
| Veterans Coalition | Hughie Shane Whitmore | 88 | 0.2 | - | ||||
| Total valid votes | 43,150 | 100.0 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 327 | 0.8 | ||||||
| Turnout | 43,477 | 56.5 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 76,916 | |||||||
| Conservative hold | Swing | -12.1 | ||||||
| Source: Elections Canada[6][7] | ||||||||
2019 general election
| 2019 Alberta general election: Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| United Conservative | Laila Goodridge | 9,836 | 66.33 | +2.63 | ||||
| New Democratic | Jane Stroud | 3,635 | 24.51 | -8.79 | ||||
| Alberta Party | Jeff Fafard | 857 | 5.78 | – | ||||
| Alberta Independence | Mark Grinder | 271 | 1.83 | – | ||||
| Green | Brian Deheer | 230 | 1.55 | +0.45 | ||||
| Total | 14,829 | 99.36 | – | |||||
| Rejected, Spoiled and Declined | 95 | 0.64 | – | |||||
| Eligible electors / Turnout | 25,622 | 58.25 | – | |||||
| United Conservative notional hold | Swing | 5.73 | ||||||
Source(s)
Source: "60 - Fort Mcmurray-Lac La Biche, 2019 Alberta general election". officialresults.elections.ab.ca. Elections Alberta. Retrieved May 21, 2020. Alberta. Chief Electoral Officer (2019). 2019 General Election. A Report of the Chief Electoral Officer. Volume II (PDF) (Report). Vol. 2. Edmonton, Alta.: Elections Alberta. pp. 269–274. ISBN 978-1-988620-12-1. Retrieved April 7, 2021. Change is based on re-distributed results from the 2015 Alberta general election. | ||||||||
2018 by-election
| Alberta provincial by-election, July 12, 2018: Fort McMurray-Conklin Upon the resignation of Brian Jean on March 5, 2018 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| United Conservative | Laila Goodridge | 2,689 | 67.02 | +0.84 | ||||
| New Democratic | Jane Stroud | 1,149 | 28.64 | -2.15 | ||||
| Alberta Party | Sid Fayed | 103 | 2.57 | – | ||||
| Liberal | Robin Le Fevre | 42 | 1.05 | -1.99 | ||||
| Green | Brian Deheer | 29 | 0.72 | – | ||||
| Total valid votes | 4,012 | 99.50 | – | |||||
| Rejected, spoiled and declined | 20 | 0.50 | -0.40 | |||||
| Turnout | 4,032 | 32.59 | -11.85 | |||||
| Eligible electors | 12,370 | |||||||
| United Conservative notional hold | Swing | +1.50 | ||||||
Source(s)
Elections Alberta. "Election results". Retrieved December 27, 2021. | ||||||||
^ UCP change is compared to combined Wildrose and Progressive Conservative
2015 general election
| 2015 Alberta general election: Grande Prairie-Wapiti | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | ||||
| Progressive Conservative | Wayne Drysdale | 6,229 | 35.57 | -16.06 | ||||
| New Democratic | Mary Dahr | 5,062 | 28.90 | +19.60 | ||||
| Wildrose | Laila Goodridge | 4,175 | 23.84 | -10.84 | ||||
| Alberta Party | Rory Tarant | 2,048 | 11.69 | |||||
| Total | 17,514 | 100.00 | ||||||
| Rejected, spoiled, and declined | 77 | |||||||
| Eligible electors / Turnout | 37,445 | 46.98 | +4.41 | |||||
| Progressive Conservative hold | Swing | -17.55 | ||||||
Source(s) | ||||||||
References
- Mitchell, Laine (June 23, 2019). "Alberta government makes new role to aid Francophonie". CTV News. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
- McDermott, Vincent (September 21, 2021). "Goodridge elected as Conservative Party's MP for Fort McMurray-Cold Lake". Fort McMurray Today. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- Joannou, Ashley (August 20, 2021). "Fort McMurray board 'appalled' Laila Goodridge appointed to run for Conservatives in federal election". Fort McMurray Today. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
- Andrew Lawton (September 12, 2021). "Outgoing Alberta Conservative MP David Yurdiga formally endorsing PPC candidate". True North. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
- McDermott, Vincent (July 13, 2018). "United Conservatives win Alberta byelections". Edmonton Journal. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
- "List of confirmed candidates – September 20, 2021 Federal Election". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- "September 20, 2021 General Election – Election Results". Elections Canada. Retrieved October 1, 2021. From the drop-down list, select "Search by electoral district name" in "1 - Choose a search option" then type "Fort McMurray--Cold Lake" in "2 - Enter a postal code, candidate name or electoral district name"; or, in both drop-down lists, select Alberta in "1 - Choose a province" and "Fort McMurray--Cold Lake" in "2 - Choose an electoral district."