David Karwacki

David Karwacki
Leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party
In office
October 27, 2001 – December 21, 2007
Preceded byJim Melenchuk
Succeeded byFrank Proto (interim)
Personal details
Born (1965-05-30) May 30, 1965 (age 59)
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
Political partyLiberal
OccupationPolitician

David Karwacki (born May 30, 1965) is a Canadian politician and businessman, serving as the Leader of the Saskatchewan Liberals between October 2001 and December 2007. Under his tenure as Liberal leader, the party lost parliamentary representation in the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan.

Biography

Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, Karwacki attended the University of Saskatchewan, graduating from the College of Commerce in 1989. He also has engaged in continuing business education at M.I.T. in Boston and more recently at Stanford in San Francisco.[1] In 1989, he founded the Star Group, a food distributor company, with Gary Budd.[2]

In October 2001, Karwacki became the leader of the Saskatchewan Liberals, defeating Liberal MLA Jack Hillson. Karwacki ran on a platform of disbanding the Liberal coalition with the Saskatchewan NDP.[3] Karwacki ran in the constituency of Saskatoon Meewasin in the 2003 provincial election, finishing second to former Justice Minister Frank Quennell. The Liberals also lost their last remaining seat in the provincial legislature. He ran in the 2006 Weyburn-Big Muddy by-election, held on June 19, placing second with 27% of the vote. Saskatchewan Party candidate Dustin Duncan won with 49% of the vote.[4]

In December 2006, Karwacki addressed the Liberal leadership convention in Montreal on the topic of Liberalism in Western Canada.

Karwacki ran in the Saskatoon Meewasin constituency in the 2007 Saskatchewan general election, placing third and receiving a lower percentage than in the 2003 general election. Karwacki then quit as the leader of the Liberals in December 2007.[5]

Karwacki returned being a businessman, and retired as the CEO of Star Group in 2024.[2]

References

  1. ^ Winter Fedyk, Karwacki, David, Encyclopedia of Saskatchewan (University of Regina (Canadian Plains Research Centre), 2006).
  2. ^ a b "Star Group's co-founder and CEO retires". Fresh Plaza. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  3. ^ "Sask. Liberals pick rookie as new leader". CBC. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  4. ^ Weyburn-Big Muddy By-Election Results Archived 2007-03-13 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Karwacki calls it quits". CBC. Retrieved 29 December 2020.