Elwin Hermanson

Who is Elwin Hermanson?

Elwin Norris Hermanson is a Canadian politician, best known for being the first full-time leader of the Saskatchewan Party.

In 1993 he was elected as a Reform Member of Parliament in the Saskatchewan riding of Kindersley—Lloydminster. He was the Reform Party House Leader from 1993 until 1995. Due to redistribution his hometown was located in the new constituency of Saskatoon—Rosetown—Biggar for the 1997 election. He ran against fellow incumbent Chris Axworthy of the New Democratic Party for the new seat and lost.

Hermanson sought the leadership of the newly founded Saskatchewan Party in 1998, and defeated Rod Gantefoer and Yogi Huyghebaert in a one member one vote election. He was elected to the provincial legislature for Rosetown-Biggar in the 1999 provincial election and became Leader of the Opposition. Widely expected to lead the party to victory in 2003, he stepped down days after the party lost the provincial election that November to the NDP and was subsequently succeeded by Brad Wall. Hermanson remained the MLA for the new constituency of Rosetown-Elrose.

On Friday, June 23, 2006, Hermanson announced that he would not be seeking re-election to the legislature.