# Ken Sweigard > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ken_Sweigard > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ken_Sweigard.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Sweigard > Source revision: 1350021093 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Ken Sweigard Ken and Audrey Sweigard Leader of the Social Credit Party of Canada In office 1983–1986 Preceded by Martin Hattersley Succeeded by Harvey Lainson Personal details Born (1919-09-21)September 21, 1919 Died July 11, 2005(2005-07-11) (aged 85) Grande Prairie, Alberta Occupation Evangelist **Kenneth Sweigard** (September 21, 1919 – July 11, 2005) was a [Pentecostal](/source/Pentecostal) [evangelist](/source/Evangelism) from Grande Prairie, [Alberta](/source/Alberta), and politician who led the [Social Credit Party of Canada](/source/Social_Credit_Party_of_Canada) from 1983 to 1986. In the [1980 election](/source/1980_Canadian_federal_election), Social Credit's five remaining Members of Parliament (all from Quebec) were defeated. The party had not had any MPs from its old base of [Alberta](/source/Alberta) and [British Columbia](/source/British_Columbia) since 1968. Sweigard first ran as a Social Credit candidate in the 1980 federal election. Standing in [Peace River](/source/Peace_River_(federal_electoral_district)), [Alberta](/source/Alberta), he came in fifth place with 462 votes. He placed behind the three major parties and the candidate for the [Rhinoceros Party of Canada](/source/Rhinoceros_Party_of_Canada_(1963%E2%80%931993)) candidate, Allan Cavanagh.[1] Sweigard first sought the party's leadership in 1982, when he lost to [Martin Hattersley](/source/Martin_Hattersley). Sweigard attended the [party's leadership convention](/source/Social_Credit_Party_of_Canada_leadership_conventions) dressed as U.S. president [Abraham Lincoln](/source/Abraham_Lincoln), wearing a top hat and carrying a walking stick. His entourage, dressed in 1860s style, held placards reading "Free the Slaves" and chanted "Free the economic slaves", a reference to the [social credit](/source/Social_credit) theory of monetary reform and opposition to the charging of interest on borrowed money.[2] Hattersley resigned as leader in June 1983 when the party would not expel three outspoken party members from Alberta, including [Jim Keegstra](/source/Jim_Keegstra) who had been accused of [antisemitism](/source/Anti-Semitism). Sweigard, who described Keegstra as a "fine Christian gentleman",[3] was elected interim leader by means of a telephone conference call of 17 party members, with 9 votes to 5 votes for party vice-president Richard Lawrence and three for Adrien Lambert.[4] As leader, he ran in the [1984 election](/source/1984_Canadian_federal_election) in [Timiskaming](/source/Timiskaming_(electoral_district)), placing last with 151 votes. Nationally, under his leadership, the party suffered what was its worst performance to date receiving only 16,659 votes nationwide. Sweigard attempted to win the leadership on a permanent basis at the party's [national convention in 1986](/source/Social_Credit_Party_of_Canada_leadership_conventions#1986_leadership_convention) but fared poorly, despite telling delegates that he had been visited by an [angel](/source/Angel) who had endorsed his candidacy.[5] Sweigard received only 9 of 114 votes,[5] finishing well behind winning candidate [Harvey Lainson](/source/Harvey_Lainson) and runner-up [Jim Keegstra](/source/Jim_Keegstra).[6] After losing the leadership, he ran again in the [1988 election](/source/1988_Canadian_federal_election) in Peace River, where he came in last in a field of six candidates with 354 votes.[7] He died at Grande Prairie in 2005.[8] ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [History of Federal Ridings since 1867](http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=2375) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Canadian Press (July 5, 1982). "Monetary system not part of jet age, Socred leader says". *Globe and Mail*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Canadian Press (July 19, 1983). "Socred defends Keegstra". *Globe and Mail*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Canadian Press (July 16, 1983). "Scoreds pick new leader the easy way - use 1½-hour conference call to anoint Alberta evangelist". *Globe and Mail*. 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Star_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Star_5-1) Bilodeau, Paul (June 22, 1986). "Minister to lead Socreds as Keegstra loses in vote". *Toronto Star*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Oziewicz, Stanley (June 20, 1986). "Bloody but unbowed Socreds gather as Keegstra seeks helm". *Globe and Mail*. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [History of Federal Ridings since 1867](http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=9487) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["SWEIGARD, Kenneth"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140222173359/http://gp.abgensoc.ca/cemeteries/GrandePrairie/RtoS/pages/SWEIGARD%2C%20Kenneth.html). Archived from [the original](http://gp.abgensoc.ca/cemeteries/GrandePrairie/RtoS/pages/SWEIGARD%2C%20Kenneth.html) on 2014-02-22. v t e Leaders of the Social Credit Party of Canada Blackmore (acting) Low Thompson Patterson (acting) R. Caouette Fortin G. Caouette (acting) Gauthier (acting) Reznowski Gauthier (acting) Roy Hattersley Sweigard (acting) Lainson Keegstra (acting) Lainson Campbell v t e Social credit Movements Canada Abolitionist Party of Canada Alberta Social Credit Party British Columbia Social Credit Party Canada Party Christian Credit Party Committee on Monetary and Economic Reform Les Démocrates Manitoba Social Credit Party New Democracy Pauper Party of Ontario Parti crédit social uni Pilgrims of Saint Michael Ralliement créditiste Ralliement créditiste du Québec Social Credit Board Social Credit Party of Canada Social Credit Party of New Brunswick Social Credit Party of Ontario Social Credit Party of Saskatchewan Oceania Australian League of Rights Country Party (New Zealand) Democratic Labour Party (New Zealand) Douglas Credit Party Social Credit Party (New Zealand) Social Credit-NZ Solomon Islands Social Credit Party Europe British People's Party Irish Monetary Reform Association Social Credit Party of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Social Credit Party of Ireland People William Aberhart Lavern Ahlstrom Bruce Beetham W. A. C. Bennett John Horne Blackmore Eric Butler Réal Caouette Vernon Cracknell C. H. Douglas Louis Even A. N. Field Ron Gostick John Hargrave Robert A. Heinlein Norman Jaques Solon Earl Low Hugh MacDiarmid Ernest Manning Roly Marks Neil Morrison Al Overfield Ezra Pound Manasseh Sogavare Ken Sweigard John Turmel History 1937 Social Credit backbenchers' revolt Prosperity certificate Social Credit Party of Canada split, 1963 Category v t e 1984 Canadian federal election Outgoing: Liberal majority Result: Progressive Conservative majority Coalition candidate Commonwealth (Gilles Gervais, candidates) Communist (William Kashtan, candidates) Confederation of Regions (Elmer Knutson) Green (Trevor Hancock, candidates) Liberal (John Turner, candidates) Libertarian (Victor Levis, candidates) Nationaliste du Québec (Denis Monière) New Democrats (Ed Broadbent) Progressive Conservative (Brian Mulroney, candidates) Rhinoceros (Cornelius I, candidates) Social Credit (Ken Sweigard, candidates) Bold indicates parties with members elected to the House of Commons. Results breakdown Leaders' debate on women's issues --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ken Sweigard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Sweigard) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Sweigard?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.