Dennis Cochrane

Who is Dennis Cochrane?

'Dennis H. Cochrane is a Canadian politician and civil servant.

He graduated from the New Brunswick Teacher's College in 1970, received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of New Brunswick in 1974, received a Bachelor of Education in 1974 and a Master of Education in 1981 from the University of Moncton. From 1970 to 1991, he was a school teacher and principal in New Brunswick.

He was elected to the Moncton City Council in 1977 and he was elected Mayor of Moncton in 1979, being re-elected in 1980. In 1983, he was Councillor-at-Large of Moncton. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons representing the riding of Moncton in 1984 as a Progressive Conservative. He was defeated in 1988.

He next entered provincial politics and was elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick in 1990. In this role he regained seats for his party in the 1991 election, the PCs having been shut out in 1987. Though his party won only three seats, it gained others later through by-elections and seemed poised to win, at least, official opposition status in the coming election.