Maynard Sonntag

{{Short description|Canadian politician}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable

| name = Maynard Sonntag

| honorific-suffix = MLA

| smallimage =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=y|1956|1|31}}

| birth_place = Goodsoil, Saskatchewan, Canada

| residence =

| assembly = Saskatchewan Legislative

| constituency_AM = Meadow Lake

| term_start= October 21, 1991

| term_end= November 19, 2007

| predecessor = George McLeod

| successor = Jeremy Harrison

| party = Saskatchewan New Democratic Party

| otherparty =

| religion =

| occupation =

}}

Maynard Sonntag (born January 31, 1956) is a Canadian politician and a former Saskatchewan cabinet minister.{{cite news

|author = The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon)

|title = Sonntag puts name forward for NDP nomination in Meadow Lake riding

|publisher = Canada.com

|quote = Longtime New Democrat MLA Maynard Sonntag announced his bid for nomination as the NDP candidate in the Meadow Lake riding on Thursday.

|date = May 4, 2007

|url = http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=227a94b1-aa93-4d2b-8148-eadf4828ae0e

|accessdate = 2010-01-07

|url-status = dead

|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121109192547/http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=227a94b1-aa93-4d2b-8148-eadf4828ae0e

|archivedate = November 9, 2012

}}

He was born, raised and educated in Goodsoil, Saskatchewan.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y746xOWGfcUC&q=%22Sonntag%2C+Maynard%22&pg=PA214|title=Saskatchewan Politicians: Lives Past and Present|year=2004|publisher=University of Regina Press |isbn=9780889771659}} Prior to being elected, Sonntag was a manager in the Credit Union system from 1980 to 1991.

Sonntag was first elected to the Saskatchewan legislature as the member for Meadow Lake in 1991 and was re-elected in 1995, 1999 and 2003.

Sonntag was first appointed to cabinet in June 1997 and held various portfolios between then and 2007, including: Property Management and Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority, Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training, Highways and Transportation, Energy and Mines, First Nations and Métis Relations, Industry and Resources, and Crown Investments Corporation.

Sonntag was a candidate in the 2001 Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leadership election, which occurred after Roy Romanow announced his intention to step down as Premier and leader of the Saskatchewan NDP. Sonntag placed fourth in a crowded field of seven candidates; and Lorne Calvert was subsequently elected as leader.{{cite news |author= |date=2000-10-17 |title=Sonntag joins NDP leadership bid |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sonntag-joins-ndp-leadership-bid-1.227424 |publisher=CBC News |access-date=2025-03-31}}

Sonntag was initially declared elected in the 2007 election, narrowly beating former federal Member of Parliament Jeremy Harrison in Meadow Lake, but was subsequently declared defeated after a count error was noted the following day. The count of absentee ballots on November 19 confirmed Harrison's victory - by only 36 votes. This result was later confirmed by a judicial recount.