Canada's electoral history from 1867 to today
Base → People → Search & Find → Full profile → John A. Macdonald

♂ Sir John Alexander Macdonald
aliasSir John Alexander Macdonald
Record
37596 · 5053

Anglican   ∞1
Type of record
Elected candidate ✓
Known but unelected candidate
Perennial candidate		 Deceased
A Father of Confederation 		Performance: 92%
  ✓ ✗ ∑
Canada 11 1 12
Birth 11 January 1815 → 209 years + 3 months ago
Lived 76 years + 4 months
First mandate 7 August 1867 → 156 years + 8 months ago
↳ at age 52 years + 6 months
Death 6 June 1891 → 132 years + 10 months ago
Died in office Yes
Conferences Confederation conferences attended
representing Canada West:
✓ Charlottetown (September 1864)
✓ Québec (October 1864)
✓ London (December 1866)
Special notes
None
 
Sir John Alexander Macdonald (1815–1891)
© Photo — Public domain
Family tie with other documented individual
⊖ Hugh J. Macdonald (1850–1929) Son  
 

Elections or appointments outside the scope of PoliCan

Pre-Conf. Canada West (1844–1867)
Canadian Senate ✗
Legis. Council ✗
✗
Deputy Minister ✗
Auto. Region ✗
Mayor/Reeve ✗
Mun./Co. Council Kingston, Ontario (1843–1844)
School Board ✗
Blank/Vide ✗

Length of service in elected office within the scope of PoliCan

Legislature Total Government Opposition
years months days years months days years months days
Canada 26 0 8

Leadership roles

  Duration
# Legislature Party M Int Role Age Dates y m d
1. CA 1–7
CONS
 1 Party leader 52–76 01 Jul 1867 — 06 Jun 1891 23 11 5
2. CA 1–2
CONS
 1 Prime Minister 52–58 07 Aug 1867 — 05 Nov 1873 6 2 29
3. CA 1–2
CONS
 1 Minister 52–58 07 Aug 1867 — 05 Nov 1873 6 2 29
4. CA 2–3
CONS
 1 Opposition Leader 58–63 07 Nov 1873 — 08 Oct 1878 4 11 1
5. CA 4–7
CONS
 2 Prime Minister 63–76 17 Oct 1878 — 06 Jun 1891 12 7 20
6. CA 4–5
CONS
 1 Minister 63–68 17 Oct 1878 — 16 Oct 1883 4 11 29
7. CA 4–6
CONS
 1 Minister 63–72 17 Oct 1878 — 02 Oct 1887 8 11 15
8. CA 6
CONS
 2 ✓ Minister 73 08 May 1888 — 24 Sep 1888 0 4 16
9. CA 6
CONS
 2 ✓ Minister 73 08 May 1888 — 24 Sep 1888 0 4 16
10. CA 6
CONS
 1 ✓ Minister 74 10 Apr 1889 — 27 Nov 1889 0 7 17
11. CA 6–7
CONS
 2 Minister 74–76 28 Nov 1889 — 06 Jun 1891 1 6 9
 3. Justice and Attorney General
 6. Interior
 7. Indian Affairs
 8. Indian Affairs [Int]
 9. Interior [Int]
10. Railways and Canals [Int]
11. Railways and Canals

Electoral history

Races 12  
Path points 17  
4 documented challengers
⊖ David W. Allison  m 
⊖ Amor De Cosmos  m 
 		 ⊖ Erskine H. Bronson  m 
⊖ Alexander Gunn  m  (3 runoffs)
 
Eligible: 2,248 Votes: 877 Participation: 39.01% Candidacies: 2
Federal
1		 Ontario
7 August 1867
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 17651(F) — 27 Aug 2022 20:34 ET
✓
 → New to Parliament (Party leader)
Age
52
LC
 1/2 735 83.81% +593 Loser:
LIB
 142 16.19% John Stewart

Service: 4 years 11 months 12 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 2,243 Votes: 833 Participation: 37.14% Candidacies: 2
Provincial
1		 Ontario
3 September 1867
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LC  Minority
ID: 32632(F) — 1 Aug 2021 19:21 ET
—
 Incumbent did not run in this election →
Age
52		 Successor:
LC
 705 84.63% Maxwell W. Strange
Eligible: inc. Votes: 1,339 Participation: inc. Candidacies: 2
Federal
2		 Ontario
20 July 1872
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Minority
 LIB  5 Nov 1873
ID: 18543(F) — 25 Jun 2023 16:37 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
57
LC
 1/2 735 54.89% +131 Loser:
IND
 604 45.11% John Carruthers
After his election:
5 Nov 1873 58
LC
 →
LIB
 Change of government (became part of opposition)
Service: 1 year 6 months 1 day (Gov't & Oppo.)
Eligible: 2,431 Votes: 1,640 Participation: 67.46% Candidacies: 2
Federal
3		 Ontario
22 January 1874
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LIB  Majority
ID: 18777(F) — 20 Jan 2022 22:47 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
59
LC
 1/2 839 51.16% +38 Loser:
IND
 801 48.84% John Carruthers
After his election:
18 Nov 1874 59
LC
 →
Vac.
 Election cancelled/Unseated
Service: 9 months 27 days (Oppo.)
Eligible: 2,431 Votes: 1,761 Participation: 72.44% Candidacies: 2
Federal
3		 Ontario
29 December 1874
By-Election
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LIB  Majority
ID: 18939(F) — 28 Nov 2021 11:20 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
59
LC
 1/2 889 50.48% +17 Loser:
IND
 872 49.52% John Carruthers

Service: 3 years 8 months 18 days (Oppo.)
Eligible: 2,770 Votes: 1,901 Participation: 68.63% Candidacies: 3
Federal
4		 Ontario
17 September 1878
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 19063(F) — 21 Jan 2022 12:39 ET
✗
 Defeated incumbent → (Party leader)
Age
63
LC
 2/3 847 45.93% -144 Winner:
LIB
 991 53.74% Alexander Gunn
Eligible: n/a Votes: 0 Participation: n/a Candidacy: 1
Federal
4		 Manitoba
17 September 1878
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 18994(F) — 21 Jan 2022 12:40 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
63
LC
 1/1 By acclamation
After his election:
4 Nov 1878 63
LC
 →
Vac.
 Elected in another riding
Service: 1 month 18 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 1,294 Votes: 1,932 Participation: 74.65% Candidacies: 3
Federal
4		 British Columbia
17 September 1878
General
Plurality-at-large (2)
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 18991(F) — 23 Oct 2022 13:58 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
63
LC
 1/3 896 92.75% +416 Loser:
IND
 480 49.69% J.P. Davies

Service: 3 years 9 months 2 days (Gov't)
Eligible: n/a Votes: 0 Participation: n/a Candidacy: 1
Federal
4		 Manitoba
30 November 1878
By-Election
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 19604(F) — 4 Sep 2022 17:10 ET
—
 Incumbent did not run in this election →
Age
63		 Successor:
LIB
 Acclam. Joseph O. Ryan
Eligible: inc. Votes: 2,431 Participation: inc. Candidacies: 3
Federal
5		 Ontario
20 June 1882
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 19235(F) — 21 Jan 2022 21:11 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
67
LC
 1/3 1,185 48.75% +556 Loser:
IND
 629 25.87% John May

Service: 4 years 8 months 1 day (Gov't)
Eligible: inc. Votes: 2,784 Participation: inc. Candidacies: 2
Federal
5		 Ontario
20 June 1882
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 19265(F) — 21 Jan 2022 21:45 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
67
LC
 1/2 1,492 53.59% +200 Loser:
LIB
 1,292 46.41% David W. Allison
After his election:
23 Oct 1883 68
LC
 →
Vac.
 Election cancelled/Unseated
Service: 1 year 4 months 3 days (Gov't)
Eligible: inc. Votes: 2,806 Participation: inc. Candidacies: 2
Federal
5		 Ontario
26 November 1883
By-Election
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 19652(F) — 21 Jan 2022 23:28 ET
—
 Incumbent did not run in this election →
Age
68		 Successor:
LIB
 1,405 50.07% David W. Allison
Eligible: inc. Votes: 2,297 Participation: inc. Candidacies: 2
Federal
6		 Ontario
22 February 1887
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 19440(F) — 22 Jan 2022 12:48 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
72
LC
 1/2 1,691 73.62% +1,085 Loser:
LIB
 606 26.38% John K. Stewart
After his election:
29 Dec 1887 72
LC
 →
Vac.
 Elected in another riding
Service: 10 months 7 days (Gov't)
Eligible: inc. Votes: 2,719 Participation: inc. Candidacies: 2
Federal
6		 Ontario
22 February 1887
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 19465(F) — 22 Jan 2022 00:08 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
72
LC
 1/2 1,368 50.31% +17 Loser:
LIB
 1,351 49.69% Alexander Gunn

Service: 4 years 10 days (Gov't)
Eligible: inc. Votes: 2,475 Participation: inc. Candidacies: 2
Federal
6		 Ontario
1 February 1888
By-Election
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 19699(F) — 22 Jan 2022 12:48 ET
—
 Incumbent did not run in this election →
Age
73		 Successor:
CONS
 1,524 61.58% George L. Dickinson
Eligible: inc. Votes: 3,114 Participation: inc. Candidacies: 3
Federal
7		 Ontario
5 March 1891
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 19817(F) — 22 Jan 2022 13:15 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent (Party leader)
Age
76
LC
 1/3 1,784 57.29% +483 Loser:
LIB
 1,301 41.78% Alexander Gunn
After his election:
6 Jun 1891 76
LC
 →
Vac.
 Died in office
Service: 3 months 1 day (Gov't)
Eligible: n/a Votes: 0 Participation: n/a Candidacy: 1
Federal
7		 Ontario
28 January 1892
By-Election
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 19947(F) — 16 Aug 2021 01:27 ET
—
 Deceased
Age
76		 Successor:
CONS
 Acclam. James H. Metcalfe

Online biographical references (5)

Bilingual references are counted as a single reference.  Retrieved on
EN Canadian Encyclopedia
Sir John A. Macdonald		 16 Mar 2024
FR Encyclopédie canadienne
Sir John A. Macdonald		 16 Mar 2024
EN Dictionary of Canadian Biography
Macdonald, Sir John Alexander		 16 Mar 2024
FR Dictionnaire biographique du Canada
Macdonald, sir John Alexander		 16 Mar 2024
EN Parliament of Canada (ParlInfo)
The Right Hon. Sir John Alexander Macdonald, P.C., Q.C., G.C.B., K.C.B.		 16 Mar 2024
FR Parlement du Canada (ParlInfo)
Le très hon. sir John Alexander Macdonald, C.P., c.r., G.C.B., K.C.B.		 16 Mar 2024
EN Wikipedia
John A. Macdonald		 16 Mar 2024
FR Wikipédia
John A. Macdonald		 16 Mar 2024

© 2019, 2024 :: PoliCan.ca (Maurice Y. Michaud)
Pub.: 22 Jun 2019 17:01
Rev.: 16 Mar 2024 13:27 (but data presented dynamically)

© 2019-2024 :: PoliCan.ca
Given that electoral results are by their very nature public information, such data that can be found in PoliCan are considered to be in the public domain. However, unless indicated otherwise, all other elements — the concept of consolidating these data into a single format, the detailed research on each election, legislature and candidate, the organization and searchability of the data, the programming allowing the entry and maintenance of the data, as well as the analyses and explanatory articles found in this website — are the intellectual property of Maurice Y. Michaud.