Maynard Sonntag

{{Short description|Canadian politician}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable]] | name = Maynard Sonntag | honorific_suffix = [[Executive Council of Saskatchewan|ECS]] | image = | caption = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|mf=y|1956|1|31}} | birth_place = [[Goodsoil, Saskatchewan]], Canada | assembly = Saskatchewan Legislative | constituency_AM = [[Meadow Lake (provincial electoral district)|Meadow Lake]] | term_start = October 21, 1991 | term_end = November 19, 2007 | predecessor = [[George Malcolm McLeod|George McLeod]] | successor = [[Jeremy Harrison]] | party = [[Saskatchewan New Democratic Party]] | other_party = | occupation = }}

'''Maynard Sonntag''' (born January 31, 1956) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] politician and a former [[Saskatchewan]] cabinet minister.<ref name=twsJanG211>{{cite news |author = The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) |title = Sonntag puts name forward for NDP nomination in Meadow Lake riding |publisher = Canada.com |quote = Longtime New Democrat MLA Maynard Sonntag announced his bid for nomination as the NDP candidate in the Meadow Lake riding on Thursday. |date = May 4, 2007 |url = http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=227a94b1-aa93-4d2b-8148-eadf4828ae0e |accessdate = 2010-01-07 |url-status = dead |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121109192547/http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/news/local/story.html?id=227a94b1-aa93-4d2b-8148-eadf4828ae0e |archivedate = November 9, 2012 }}</ref>

He was born, raised and educated in [[Goodsoil, Saskatchewan]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y746xOWGfcUC&q=%22Sonntag%2C+Maynard%22&pg=PA214|title=Saskatchewan Politicians: Lives Past and Present|year=2004|publisher=University of Regina Press |isbn=9780889771659}}</ref> Prior to being elected, Sonntag was a manager in the [[Credit Union]] system from 1980 to 1991.

Sonntag was first elected to the [[Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan|Saskatchewan legislature]] as the member for [[Meadow Lake (provincial electoral district)|Meadow Lake]] in [[1991 Saskatchewan general election|1991]] and was re-elected in [[1995 Saskatchewan general election|1995]], [[1999 Saskatchewan general election|1999]] and [[2003 Saskatchewan general election|2003]].

Sonntag was first appointed to [[Executive Council of Saskatchewan|cabinet]] in June 1997 and held various portfolios between then and 2007, including: Property Management and [[Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority]], Post-Secondary Education and Skills Training, Highways and Transportation, Energy and Mines, First Nations and Métis Relations, Industry and Resources, and Crown Investments Corporation.

Sonntag was a candidate in the [[2001 Saskatchewan New Democratic Party leadership election]], which occurred after [[Roy Romanow]] announced his intention to step down as Premier and leader of the Saskatchewan NDP. Sonntag placed fourth in a crowded field of seven candidates; and [[Lorne Calvert]] was subsequently elected as leader.<ref>{{cite news |author= |date=2000-10-17 |title=Sonntag joins NDP leadership bid |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sonntag-joins-ndp-leadership-bid-1.227424 |publisher=[[CBC News]] |access-date=2025-03-31}}</ref>

Sonntag was initially declared elected in the [[2007 Saskatchewan general election|2007 election]], narrowly beating former federal Member of Parliament [[Jeremy Harrison]] in Meadow Lake, but was subsequently declared defeated after a count error was noted the following day. The count of absentee ballots on November 19 confirmed Harrison's victory - by only 36 votes. This result was later confirmed by a judicial recount.

==Electoral record== {{Canadian election result/top|SK|2007|Meadow Lake (provincial electoral district)|Meadow Lake|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|SK|Saskatchewan|[[Jeremy Harrison]]|3,507|48.86|+4.59}} {{CANelec|SK|NDP|Maynard Sonntag|3,471|48.35|-1.92}} {{CANelec|SK|Liberal|Don Coupland|200|2.79|-2.67}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total|7,178|100.00}} {{CANelec/gain|SK|Saskatchewan|NDP|-}} {{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|SK|2003|Meadow Lake (provincial electoral district)|Meadow Lake|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|SK|NDP|'''Maynard Sonntag'''|3,472|50.27|+3.54}} {{CANelec|SK|Saskatchewan|Ron Dosdall|3,058|44.27|+2.85}} {{CANelec|SK|Liberal|Don Coupland|377|5.46|-6.39}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total|6,907|100.00}} {{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|SK|1999|Meadow Lake (provincial electoral district)|Meadow Lake|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|SK|NDP|'''Maynard Sonntag'''|2,846|46.73|-1.47}} {{CANelec|SK|Saskatchewan|Bob Young|2,523|41.42|*}} {{CANelec|SK|Liberal|Don Coupland|722|11.85|-24.39}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total|6,091|100.00}} {{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|SK|1995|Meadow Lake (provincial electoral district)|Meadow Lake|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|SK|NDP|'''Maynard Sonntag'''|2,910|48.20|-3.09}} {{CANelec|SK|Liberal|Dennis Barnett|2,188|36.24|+29.80}} {{CANelec|SK|PC|Paul S. Pospisil|939|15.56|-26.71}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total|6,037|100.00}} {{end}}

{{Canadian election result/top|SK|1991|Meadow Lake (provincial electoral district)|Meadow Lake|percent=yes|change=yes}} {{CANelec|SK|NDP|Maynard Sonntag|3,719|51.29|+16.33}} {{CANelec|SK|PC|[[George Malcolm McLeod|George McLeod]]|3,065|42.27|-17.15}} {{CANelec|SK|Liberal|J. Burton Dougan|467|6.44|+0.82}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total|7,251|100.00}} {{end}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sonntag, Maynard}} [[Category:Saskatchewan New Democratic Party MLAs]] [[Category:Members of the Executive Council of Saskatchewan]] [[Category:Canadian people of Norwegian descent]] [[Category:Canadian people of German descent]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] [[Category:21st-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan]] [[Category:1956 births]] [[Category:Ministers of finance of Saskatchewan]]