Darius Mortimer Elias (March 17, 1972 – February 17, 2021) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
politician. He represented the rural
Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
electoral district
An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...
Yukon Legislative Assembly
The Yukon Legislative Assembly (french: Assemblée législative du Yukon) is the legislative assembly for Yukon, Canada. Unique among Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada, three territories, the Yukon Legislative Assembly is the only terri ...
from 2006–2016 as a member of both the
Yukon Liberal Party
The Yukon Liberal Party (french: Parti libéral du Yukon) is a political party in the territory of Yukon, Canada. The party is not organizationally linked to the federal Liberal Party of Canada in any official manner.
Sandy Silver, MLA for Klond ...
and the
Yukon Party
The Yukon Party (french: Parti du Yukon) is a conservative political party in Yukon, Canada. It is the successor to the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party.
Formation
With Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative federal go ...
.
He later served as Deputy Chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation. He resigned from that position June 12, 2020. Elias died February 17, 2021 at the age of 48.
Political career
32nd Legislative Assembly
Elias defeated two-term incumbent
New Democrat
New Democrats, also known as centrist Democrats, Clinton Democrats, or moderate Democrats, are a centrist ideological faction within the Democratic Party in the United States. As the Third Way faction of the party, they are seen as culturall ...
Lorraine Peter in the
Old Crow
Old Crow is a low-priced brand of Kentucky-made straight bourbon whiskey distilled by Beam Suntory, which also produces Jim Beam and several other brands of whiskey. The current Old Crow product uses the same mash bill and yeast as Jim Beam, but ...
riding of Vuntut Gwitchin in
2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...
, ending the New Democrat's ten-year hold on the riding. His win marked the Yukon Liberals' first election win in that riding. Elias served as Official Opposition caucus chair, as well as Liberal critic for the Environment, Tourism and Culture, and the Women's Directorate portfolios.
33rd Legislative Assembly
Elias was re-elected in the 2011 election, but that election saw the Yukon Liberals reduced to just two rural seats and third party status. Yukon Liberal leader Arthur Mitchell was defeated in his re-election campaign and resigned on election night. As the only Liberal MLA with experience (the other being then-rookie MLA
Sandy Silver
Sidney Alexander "Sandy" Silver (born October 15, 1969) is a Canadians, Canadian politician, the ninth and current premier of Yukon since 2016. He was first elected to the Yukon Legislative Assembly in the 2011 Yukon general election, 2011 electio ...
), Elias became interim leader of the party.
On August 17, 2012, Elias resigned from the post of interim Liberal leader and from the party caucus to sit as an Independent MLA. Eleven months later, on July 8, 2013, Elias crossed the floor to join the caucus of the governing
Yukon Party
The Yukon Party (french: Parti du Yukon) is a conservative political party in Yukon, Canada. It is the successor to the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party.
Formation
With Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's Progressive Conservative federal go ...
. The move was controversial not only in that a former party leader defected; Elias' defection also granted the Yukon Party a majority on the Select Committee on Hydraulic Fracturing, which was struck to examine the role of fracking in the Yukon.
In 2014, he was fined $1,000 for refusing a breathalyzer test and using a cellphone while driving. His license was temporarily suspended and he publicly admitted to having an alcohol problem.
Elias was appointed Government House Leader and Caucus Chair of the Yukon Party caucus in 2015. Following the sudden resignation of David Laxton,
Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly
The Speaker of the Yukon Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of that legislature. Although the Yukon Territorial Council was first established by the confederation of the Yukon in 1898, it was not an elected body until 1909, when the posi ...
, in May 2016, Elias briefly assumed the position of Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly when his predecessor, Patti McLeod, became Speaker.
He announced his intention to seek re-election in the
2016 election
The following elections occurred in the year 2016.
Africa
Benin Republic
*2016 Beninese presidential election 6 March 2016
Cape Verde
* 2016 Cape Verdean presidential election 2 October 2016
Chad
* 2016 Chadian presidential election 10 A ...
, but was defeated by Liberal candidate Pauline Frost by seven votes.
Personal life
Elias had a diploma in renewable resources management and was a former Vuntut National Park warden.
He was the son of Vuntut Gwitchin chief and former New Democrat MLA
Norma Kassi
Norma Kassi (born April 10, 1954) is a native Gwich'in from Yukon Territory, Canada, and a former member of the Yukon Legislative Assembly and former chief of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation.Liberals construct their shadow cabinet ''Whitehorse Star'' (October 25, 2006).