Barry Morishita resigns as leader of seatless Alberta Party

Former Alberta Party Leader Barry Morishita in a file photo.

After failing to secure even a single seat in two straight general elections, the Alberta Party will have to find a new leader before the next one.

The party announced this week that Barry Morishita, who took over the job in 2021, has resigned from the position.

"Obviously, the result from the election was disappointing," Morishita told CTV News Edmonton Wednesday afternoon.

"I think the party has to kind of restructure itself, it has to put a good plan in place and put a leader in place who can take the party to the next step and I just didn't think it had the resources and the time to do that."

The Alberta Party finished fourth in the May 29 election with 12,576 votes, less than one per cent.

In 2019, with Stephen Mandel as leader, it captured 171,996, about nine per cent.

The major problems facing the "pragmatic" and "centrist" party, Morishita said, are how polarized Alberta politics have become and how hard it's been to raise money.

The Alberta Party collected roughly $223,000 in 2022, while the UCP and NDP each raised close to $8 million.

Still, Morishita sees a need for the Alberta Party.

He said the split between him and the party was amicable and he's willing to help in the future, but not as a candidate.

"I believe in what they say, I believe in the way they approached problems," the former mayor of Brooks said.

"But retail politics is a different game, and quite frankly, the Alberta Party hasn't found its legs there. We haven't been able to figure that out, I think mainly because we don't have any money."

In a press release, Alberta Party vice-president Janet Jabush said an annual general meeting is being organized where officials will discuss the process of finding a new leader.

She thanked Morishita for his "principled approach" and his "unfailing integrity."

"He earned the respect of party members and many others. He focused on solutions to the issues facing Albertans and we are better for having been served by Barry’s leadership. The party is grateful for your dedication and service to Albertans," she wrote.

Morishita ran in his home riding of Brooks-Medicine Hat where he received 16 per cent of the votes in a 2022 byelection and six per cent in the May general election.