Editing Jim Prentice (section)

==Early political career==
Prentice joined the [[Progressive Conservative Party of Canada]] in 1976, and was active in [[Tory]] circles ever since. In the [[1986 Alberta general election|1986 provincial election]], Prentice ran for the [[Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta|Progressive Conservatives]] in [[Calgary Mountain View]], being defeated by [[Alberta New Democratic Party|NDP]] candidate [[Bob Hawkesworth]].<ref>{{cite news|title=A 1986 photo of Jim Prentice|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/1986+photo+Prentice+Prentice+Progressive+Conservative+candidate+Calgary+Mountain+View+defeated+candidate+Hawkesworth+Prentice+wife+Karen+stare+glumly+election+results+Photo+Calgary+Herald+file+photo+originally+published+1986/10182250/story.html|access-date=19 February 2016|work=Ottawa Citizen|publisher=Postmedia|date=September 6, 2014|archive-date=November 16, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116091100/http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/1986+photo+Prentice+Prentice+Progressive+Conservative+candidate+Calgary+Mountain+View+defeated+candidate+Hawkesworth+Prentice+wife+Karen+stare+glumly+election+results+Photo+Calgary+Herald+file+photo+originally+published+1986/10182250/story.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

During the early 1990s, Prentice served as the governing federal PC party's chief financial officer and treasurer (1990–93).  Prentice first ran for Parliament as the nominated Progressive Conservative candidate in a spring 2002 [[by-election]] in the riding of [[Calgary Southwest]] that followed the retirement of [[Preston Manning]] as the riding's [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|Member of Parliament]] (MP). When newly elected [[Canadian Alliance]] leader [[Stephen Harper]] replaced nominated CA candidate [[Ezra Levant]] in the by-election, Prentice withdrew from the race, following common practice to allow a party leader to win a seat uncontested so they may lead their party within Parliament.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Plamondon|first1=Bob|title=Full Circle: Death and Resurrection In Canadian Conservative Politics|date=Nov 21, 2014|publisher=eBookIt.com|pages=370–375|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eZyMBQAAQBAJ|access-date=19 February 2016|isbn=9781456623166}}</ref>

He ran in the [[2003 Progressive Conservative leadership election]] to support the "[[United Alternative]]" proposal to merge the PC party with the Canadian Alliance. He was seen by many as an alternative to the "status quo" candidate and front runner [[Peter MacKay]]. A basic platform of Prentice's campaign was that "no one has ever defeated the Liberals with a divided conservative family."  Prentice entered the 2003 convention day with some momentum, after delivering a passionate speech to the assembled delegates that encouraged Tories to be proud of their accomplishments, despite recent setbacks, and that recalled the sacrifices of Canadian soldiers who fought in the [[Battle of Passchendaele]]. He also unexpectedly received the support of fellow leadership challenger [[Craig Chandler]], who withdrew early. Prentice ultimately emerged in second-place on the fourth ballot to the eventual winner MacKay.<ref>{{cite web|title=2003 PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE LEADERSHIP CONVENTION|url=http://www.cpac.ca/en/2003-progressive-conservative-leadership/|website=cpac.ca|access-date=19 February 2016|archive-date=October 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023223953/https://www.cpac.ca/en/2003-progressive-conservative-leadership/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Consistent with his positions during the leadership race, Prentice was a supporter of the merger endorsed by both the CA and PC parties in December 2003 that formed the new Conservative Party of Canada.<ref>{{cite news| first1=Robson |last1=Fletcher |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/jim-prentice-plane-crash-killed-1.3804941 |title=Former Alberta premier Jim Prentice among 4 killed in B.C. plane crash |work=[[CBC News]] |date=14 October 2016 |access-date=14 October 2016}}</ref>

Prentice was the first declared candidate for the leadership of the new Conservative Party,<ref>{{cite news |first1=Stuart |last1=Thomson |url=https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/jim-prentice-timeline-a-long-career-of-public-service |title=Jim Prentice timeline: A long career of public service |work=[[The Edmonton Journal]] |date=14 October 2016 |access-date=14 October 2016}}</ref> announcing his run on December 7, 2003, the day after the new party was ratified by members of the PC Party. Prentice began his campaign in Calgary and toured parts of Ontario, specifically visiting [[Kingston, Ontario]], the hometown of the first conservative leader Sir [[John A. Macdonald]].  However, he withdrew from the race on January 12, 2004, citing difficulty in raising new funds less than a year after his unsuccessful first leadership bid.<ref>{{cite news |first1=James |last1=Wood |first2=Chris |last2=Varcoe |url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/politics/jim-prentice-a-career-that-changed-conservative-politics |title=Jim Prentice: A career that changed Conservative politics |work=[[The Calgary Herald]] |date=14 October 2016 |access-date=14 October 2016}}</ref> The leadership election was won by [[Stephen Harper]], who later became [[Prime Minister of Canada]] after the [[2006 Canadian federal election]].