Walter Szwender

{{short description|Canadian politician}}

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

{{Infobox officeholder

| image =

| imagesize = |

| name = Walter Richard Szwender

| caption =

| birth_date ={{Birth date and age|1950|10|20}}

| birth_place = Edmonton, Alberta

| death_date =

| residence =

| office = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta

| constituency = Edmonton-Belmont

| term_start = 1982

| term_end = 1986

| predecessor = William Mack

| successor = Tom Sigurdson

| party = Progressive Conservative

| religion =

| occupation = Teacher

}}

Walter Richard Szwender is a former provincial level politician and teacher from Alberta, Canada. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1982 until 1986.{{cite journal|title=Guide Parlementaire Canadien|author=Normandin, P.G.|journal=The Canadian Parliamentary Guide = Guide Parlementaire Canadien|date=1985|publisher=Gale Canada|issn=0315-6168|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xkmIAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=July 4, 2015 |via=Google Books}}

Political career

Szwender ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature and was elected to the electoral district of Edmonton-Belmont in the 1982 Alberta general election. He held the seat for the governing Progressive Conservative caucus.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1982&Constit=Edmonton-Belmont| title=Edmonton-Belmont results 1982| publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=November 15, 2009}}

He ran for a second term in office in the 1986 Alberta general election but was defeated in a closely contested race by the New Democrat candidate, Tom Sigurdson. Szwender finished second out of six candidates.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1986&Constit=Edmonton-Belmont| title=Edmonton-Belmont results 1986| publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=November 15, 2009}}

Szwender faced Sigurdson again three years later in the 1989 election in an attempt to retake Edmonton-Belmont and he was once again defeated, this time by a larger margin.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1989&Constit=Edmonton-Belmont| title=Edmonton-Belmont results 1989| publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=November 15, 2009}}

He attempted another come back to the Alberta Legislature by running in the 2004 provincial election in Edmonton Decore as a last-minute replacement after it was revealed that the nominated candidate, Ray Haja,r was a convicted criminal, and had years of unpaid alimony. Swzender ran against the incumbent MLA, Gary Masyk. Both Masyk and Swender were defeated by the Liberal candidate, Bill Bonko.{{cite web|title=Electoral Division of Edmonton-Decore General Election Statement of Official Results|publisher=Elections Alberta|url=http://www.elections.ab.ca/Public%20Website/files/Statements/29.pdf|date=November 22, 2004| accessdate=November 15, 2009}}

Szwender is a high school teacher.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}}

References

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