Naomi Rankin (born c. 1953) is 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 and the leader of the Communist Party – Alberta since 1992. She is the longest-serving political party leader in the province, and has run as a

perennial candidate A perennial candidate is a political candidate who frequently runs for elected office and rarely, if ever, wins. Perennial candidates' existence lies in the fact that in some countries, there are no laws that limit a number of times a person can ...

in every federal and provincial election in

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

since 1982.

Political career

Rankin became leader of the Communist Party in Alberta in 1992, after the collapse of the Soviet Union sent the party into crisis. Since 1982, she has run in every provincial and federal election for the Communist Party – Alberta and the Communist Party of Canada respectively. Rankin herself usually fields around 100 votes. In a typical election campaign, Rankin goes door-to-door and distributes pamphlets, as she tries to engage voters in discussions about the party's main platforms. In the 1980s, these included the nationalization of transnational oil and gas companies, and making Alberta a nuclear weapons-free zone. Since then, issues on the Communist Party agenda have included opposing privatization, doubling the corporate tax rate, and making drastic cuts to military spending. She also appears in forums, debates, and media interviews, in which she tries to debunk popular myths about the Communist Party and socialism. As a candidate, Rankin has aimed to spread her message beyond the party's traditional targets such as trade unions, environmental groups, women's organizations, and farmers.

Personal life

Rankin is widowed with two children, and is retired from her career as a computer programmer. She has lived in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...

since 1963. A social activist since her teens, she has been active in peace and women's organizations. Rankin sings in the "Notre Dame des Bananes” choir, which performs songs about social justice, and has also sung as a tenor with the

Richard Eaton Singers The Richard Eaton Singers is a symphonic chorus in Edmonton, Alberta. There are 150 members in the choir, which frequently performs with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, and is at home in the Francis Winspear Centre for Music. The choir has commi ...

Electoral record

Federal

''Note: Canadian Alliance vote is compared to the Reform vote in 1997.''

Provincial

References

External links

Communist Party of Alberta homepage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rankin, Naomi Communist Party – Alberta candidates in Alberta provincial elections 1952 births Living people Communist Party of Canada candidates in the 1984 Canadian federal election Communist Party of Canada candidates in the 1988 Canadian federal election Independent candidates in the 1993 Canadian federal election Independent candidates in the 1997 Canadian federal election Communist Party of Canada candidates in the 2000 Canadian federal election Communist Party of Canada candidates in the 2004 Canadian federal election Communist Party of Canada candidates in the 2006 Canadian federal election Female Canadian political party leaders Canadian women in federal politics Women in Alberta politics 21st-century Canadian women politicians 20th-century Canadian women politicians