{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = | honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable]] | honorific_suffix = [[Executive Council of Saskatchewan|ECS]] | name = Deb Higgins | caption = | birth_date = {{birth year and age|1954}} | birth_place = | office = Mayor of [[Moose Jaw]], [[Saskatchewan]] | term_start = 2012 | term_end = 2016 | predecessor = [[Glenn Hagel]] | successor = [[Fraser Tolmie]] | assembly2 = Saskatchewan Legislative | constituency_AM2 = | party = [[Saskatchewan New Democratic Party|New Democratic Party]] | occupation = Labour organizer | office1 = [[Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly|Member of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] | constituency1 = [[Moose Jaw Wakamow]] | predecessor1 = [[Lorne Calvert]] | successor1 = [[Greg Lawrence]] | term_start1 = September 16, 1999 | term_end1 = October 10, 2011 }}
'''Debra Elaine Higgins''' is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] [[politician]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Members of the Legislative Assembly |page=16 |url=http://www.saskarchives.com/sites/default/files/pdf/members_of_the_legislative_assembly.pdf |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131219114059/http://www.saskarchives.com/sites/default/files/pdf/members_of_the_legislative_assembly.pdf|archive-date=December 19, 2013 }}</ref> She was a member of the [[Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] for the constituency of [[Moose Jaw Wakamow]] from 1999 to 2011 and served as the mayor of [[Moose Jaw]], [[Saskatchewan]] from 2012 to 2016.
== Political career == Higgins got her start in politics when she became involved with the [[United Food and Commercial Workers]] union in 1982 while working at a Safeway grocery store. She later served as the President of the UFCW Manitoba Provincial Council from 1993 to 1999, during which period she also served as a table officer for the Moose Jaw & District Labour Council.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=http://saskndp.ca/constituencies/moose-jaw-wakamow |title=Deb Higgins |work=[[Saskatchewan New Democratic Party]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120428151154/http://saskndp.ca/constituencies/moose-jaw-wakamow |archive-date=2012-04-28}}</ref>
=== NDP MLA === Higgins was first elected to the provincial legislature as a member of the [[Saskatchewan New Democratic Party|New Democratic Party]] in the [[1999 Saskatchewan general election|1999 election]], and she was re-elected in the [[2003 Saskatchewan general election|2003]] and [[2007 Saskatchewan general election|2007]] elections. She served in the cabinet of Premier [[Lorne Calvert]], first as the Minister of Labour and later as the Minister of Learning.<ref name=":1">{{cite news|date=2009-01-30|title=Higgins runs for NDP leadership|publisher=[[CBC News]]|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/higgins-runs-for-ndp-leadership-1.842091|accessdate=2016-03-22}}</ref> After the defeat of the NDP government in the 2007 election, Higgins has served as the NDP critic for municipal affairs, liquor and gaming, and women's issues.<ref name=":1" />
In 2008 Calvert retired, triggering the [[2009 Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leadership election|2009 NDP leadership race]]. On January 30, 2009, Higgins announced her bid to succeed Calvert at the party's June 2009 leadership convention. Higgins ran on the theme of party renewal and poverty reduction.<ref name=":0" /> She was joined in the race by former Saskatchewan NDP President [[Yens Pedersen]], former Deputy Premier [[Dwain Lingenfelter]], and Saskatoon doctor [[Ryan Meili]]. Higgins secured 14% of votes on the first ballot and was eliminated; although both Higgins and Pedersen, who withdrew after the first ballot, endorsed Meili ahead of the second ballot, Lingenfelter was elected leader.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2009-06-06|title=Saskatchewan New Democrats choose Dwain Lingenfelter as leader {{!}} CBC News|language=en-US|work=CBC|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/saskatchewan-new-democrats-choose-dwain-lingenfelter-as-leader-1.800567|access-date=2020-11-20}}</ref> After the race, Lingenfelter named Higgins Deputy Leader.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2011-11-18 |title=Sask NDP Start To Rebuild |url=https://www.discovermoosejaw.com/local/sask-ndp-start-to-rebuild |access-date=2020-11-20 |website=Discover Moose Jaw |language=en-gb}}</ref>
Higgins ran in the [[2011 Saskatchewan general election|2011 election]], but she lost her seat to rookie [[Saskatchewan Party]] candidate [[Greg Lawrence]] in an election that saw the NDP reduced to an historic low of 9 seats in the legislature.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-11-08|title=NDP Optimistic After Humbling Defeat|url=https://www.discovermoosejaw.com/local/ndp-optimistic-after-humbling-defeat|access-date=2020-11-20|website=DiscoverMooseJaw|language=en-gb|archive-date=2020-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129030536/https://www.discovermoosejaw.com/local/ndp-optimistic-after-humbling-defeat|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Graham|first=Jennifer|date=2011-11-07|title=Saskatchewan NDP Leader Dwain Lingenfelter crushed by Wall|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/174986/saskatchewan-ndp-leader-dwain-lingenfelter-crushed-by-wall-3/|access-date=2020-11-20|website=Global News|publisher=The Canadian Press|language=en-US}}</ref> Lingenfelter also lost his seat in the election and resigned as leader, triggering another [[2013 Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leadership election|leadership race]]. Higgins decided not to run again for the leadership, advocating instead for younger members to step into contention for the role. Higgins chaired the leadership election, which resulted in [[Cam Broten]] being elected.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2012-09-05|title=1st candidate declares in Sask. NDP leadership race {{!}} CBC News|language=en-US|work=CBC|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/1st-candidate-declares-in-sask-ndp-leadership-race-1.1135051|access-date=2020-11-20}}</ref>
=== Mayor of Moose Jaw === In September 2012, Higgins announced she would be entering municipal politics and running to become the next mayor of Moose Jaw.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/regina/article/deb-higgins-enters-moose-jaw-mayoral-race/ |title=Deb Higgins enters Moose Jaw mayoral race |work=[[CTV News]] |date=2012-09-14 |access-date=2016-03-22}}</ref> [[2012 Saskatchewan municipal elections|On October 23, 2012]], Higgins was elected mayor, defeating [[Fraser Tolmie]] in a tight race and becoming the first female mayor in Moose Jaw's history.<ref name="higgins-mayor">{{cite web|url=http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/Local/News/2012-10-25/article-3106913/Higgins-elected-first-female-mayor/1|title=Higgins elected first female mayor|publisher=[[Moose Jaw Times-Herald]]|year=2012|accessdate=22 February 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140301082635/http://www.mjtimes.sk.ca/Local/News/2012-10-25/article-3106913/Higgins-elected-first-female-mayor/1|archive-date=1 March 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|date=2012-10-24|title=Deb Higgins new mayor of Moose Jaw|publisher=[[CBC News]]|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/deb-higgins-new-mayor-of-moose-jaw-1.1224177|accessdate=2016-03-22}}</ref>
Higgins ran for reelection in 2016. She was again running against Tolmie, along with three other candidates in a crowded field. The ballot also included a referendum on funding for replacing local water and sewer mains, which led to a high turnout. Higgins was unseated by Tolmie, who secured 53.5% of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Robinson|first=Ashley|date=2016-10-27|title=Busy night in southern Saskatchewan as three cities vote in new mayors|url=https://leaderpost.com/news/saskatchewan/busy-night-in-southern-sask-as-three-cities-vote-in-new-mayors|access-date=2020-11-20|website=LeaderPost|language=en-CA}}</ref>
== Electoral record == {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- style="background-color:#00594E" |- |+ 2016 Moose Jaw mayoral election |- ! scope="col" style="background:#ddf; width:150px;"|Candidate ! scope="col" style="background:#ddf;"|Votes ! scope="col" style="background:#ddf;"|% |- ! scope="row" |Fraser Tolmie |align="right"|5,949 || align="right" | 53.5 |- ! scope="row" |'''Deb Higgins''' |align="right"|3,469 || align="right" | 31.2 |- ! scope="row" |3 other candidates |align="right"|1,705 || align="right" | 15.3 |- ! scope="row" |'''Total''' | align="right" |'''11,123'''|| align="right" |'''100.00''' |}
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- style="background-color:#00594E" |- |+ 2012 Moose Jaw mayoral election |- ! scope="col" style="background:#ddf; width:150px;"|Candidate ! scope="col" style="background:#ddf;"|Votes ! scope="col" style="background:#ddf;"|% |- ! scope="row" |'''Deb Higgins''' |align="right"|5,239 || align="right" | 53 |- ! scope="row" |Fraser Tolmie |align="right"|4,645 || align="right" | 47 |- ! scope="row" |'''Total''' | align="right" |'''9,884'''|| align="right" |'''100.00''' |}
{{Canadian election result/top|SK|2011|Moose Jaw Wakamow|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|SK|Saskatchewan|[[Greg Lawrence]]|3,064|49.10|+12.40}} {{CANelec|SK|NDP|'''Deb Higgins'''|2,863|45.88|-6.45}} {{CANelec|SK|PC|Tom Steen|209|3.35|+0.51}} {{CANelec|SK|Green|Deanna Robilliard|104|1.67|-0.59}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total|6,240|100.00}} {{end}}
{{Canadian election result/top|SK|2007|Moose Jaw Wakamow|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|SK|NDP|'''Deb Higgins'''|3,887|52.33|-10.27}} {{CANelec|SK|Saskatchewan|Gwen Beitel|2,726|36.70|+6.37}} {{CANelec|SK|Liberal|Sharice Billett Niedermayer|436|5.87|-0.24}} {{CANelec|SK|PC|Tom Steen|211|2.84|-}} {{CANelec|SK|Green|Larissa Shasko|168|2.26|+1.30}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total|7,428|100.00}} {{end}}
{{Canadian election result/top|SK|2003|Moose Jaw Wakamow|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|SK|NDP|'''Deb Higgins'''|4,394|62.60|+8.68}} {{CANelec|SK|Saskatchewan|Gwen Beitel|2,129|30.33|-2.46}} {{CANelec|SK|Liberal|Robert Cosman|429|6.11|-5.46}} {{CANelec|SK|New Green Alliance|Marcela Gall|67|0.96|*}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total|7,019|100.00}} {{end}}
{{Canadian election result/top|SK|1999|Moose Jaw Wakamow|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|SK|NDP|'''Deb Higgins'''|3,111|53.92|-9.03}} {{CANelec|SK|Saskatchewan|Doris Dunphy|1,892|32.79|*}} {{CANelec|SK|Liberal|Marlin Belt|668|11.57|-14.54}} {{CANelec|SK|PC|Vanessa Slater|99|1.72|-9.22}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total|5,770|100.00}} {{end}}
== See also ==
* [[List of mayors of Moose Jaw]]
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090413053224/http://debhiggins.ca/ Deb Higgins]
{{Calvert Ministry|state=collapsed}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Higgins, Deb}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Saskatchewan New Democratic Party MLAs]] [[Category:Women MLAs in Saskatchewan]] [[Category:Mayors of Moose Jaw]] [[Category:Women mayors of places in Saskatchewan]] [[Category:1954 births]] [[Category:20th-century Canadian women politicians]] [[Category:21st-century Canadian women politicians]] [[Category:United Food and Commercial Workers people]] [[Category:Trade unionists from Saskatchewan]] [[Category:Canadian women trade unionists]] [[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] [[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] [[Category:21st-century mayors of places in Saskatchewan]] [[Category:First women mayors]]