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♀ Mary Ellen S. Smith
aliasMary Ellen S. Smith
Record
57652 · 13740

☆  ∞1
Type of record
Elected candidate ✓
Known but unelected candidate
Perennial candidate		 Deceased Performance: 75%
  ✓ ✗ ∑
British Columbia 3 1 4
Birth 11 October 1861 → 162 years + 6 months ago
Lived 71 years + 6 months
First mandate 24 January 1918 → 106 years + 3 months ago
↳ at age 56 years + 3 months
Death 3 May 1933 → 90 years + 11 months ago
Exit → Death 4 years + 9 months after 17 July 1928
Special notes
None
 
Mary Ellen S. Smith (1861–1933)
© Photo Legislative Assembly, British Columbia — Public domain
Family tie with other documented individual
⊖ Ralph Smith (1858–1917) Spouse  
 
Well that's interesting!
Serving as MLA for Vancouver City from 1918 to 1928, Smith was the first woman elected in the British Columbia legislature after the death of her husband Ralph, who was a supporter of women's suffrage. She was also the first female cabinet minister and the first female Speaker in the British Empire.
 

Length of service in elected office

Legislature Total Government Opposition
years months days years months days years months days
British Columbia 10 5 20 Z

Electoral history

Races 4  
Path points 4  
17 documented challengers
⊖ William J. Bowser  m  (2 runoffs)
⊖ John W.D. Farris  m  (2 runoffs)
⊖ Thomas H. Kirk  m 
⊖ Angus MacInnis  m 
⊖ Royal L. (Pat) Maitland  m 
⊖ Alexander D. McRae  m 
⊖ Victor W. Odlum  m 
⊖ James Ramsay  m 
⊖ Charles A. Woodward  m 
 		 ⊖ Andrew M. Creery  m 
⊖ Samuel L. Howe  m  (2 runoffs)
⊖ Malcolm A. MacDonald  m 
⊖ Ian A. Mackenzie  m  (2 runoffs)
⊖ Joseph Martin  m 
⊖ Christopher McRae  m 
⊖ Robert H. Pooley  m 
⊖ James S. (J.S.) Woodsworth  m 
 
Eligible: 27,578 Votes: 15,960 Participation: 57.87% Candidacies: 3
Provincial
14		 British Columbia
24 January 1918
By-Election
First-past-the-post
Gov't  LIB  Majority
ID: 29045(F) — 23 Jul 2023 22:54 ET
✓
 → New to this legislature
Age
56
IND
 1/3 9,356 58.62% +3,244 Loser:
GWVA
 6,112 38.30% Walter Drinnan
After her election:
1 Feb 1918 56
IND
 →
LIB
 Changed allegiance (joined government)
Service: 2 years 10 months 6 days (Oppo. & Gov't)
Eligible: 52,768 Votes: 202,205 Participation: 63.87% Candidacies: 28
Provincial
15		 British Columbia
1 December 1920
General
Plurality-at-large (6)
Gov't  LIB  Majority
ID: 29239(F) — 19 Sep 2022 23:15 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
59
LIB
 1/28 17,510 51.96% +7,122 Loser:
LIB
 10,388 30.82% John P. Dougherty

Service: 3 years 6 months 18 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 57,512 Votes: 189,728 Participation: 54.98% Candidacies: 27
Provincial
16		 British Columbia
20 June 1924
General
Plurality-at-large (6)
Gov't  LIB  Minority
ID: 29283(F) — 12 Feb 2023 11:18 ET
✓
 Re-elected incumbent
Age
62
LIB
 5/27 9,251 29.26% +243 Loser:
PROV
 9,008 28.49% Alexander D. McRae

Service: 4 years 27 days (Gov't)
Eligible: 3,858 Votes: 3,000 Participation: 77.76% Candidacies: 3
Provincial
17		 British Columbia
18 July 1928
General
First-past-the-post
Gov't  CONS  Majority
ID: 29346(F) — 3 Mar 2022 10:42 ET
✗
 Defeated incumbent →
Age
66
LIB
 2/3 1,077 37.04% -729 Winner:
CONS
 1,806 62.10% Robert H. Pooley

Online biographical reference

 Retrieved on
EN Wikipedia
Mary Ellen Smith		 09 Mar 2024

© 2019, 2024 :: PoliCan.ca (Maurice Y. Michaud)
Pub.: 22 Jun 2019 17:01
Rev.:  9 Mar 2024 11:50 (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.