Esau Schafer
Encyclopedia
Esau Schafer is a Canadian
politician, who represented the electoral district
of Vuntut Gwitchin in the Yukon Legislative Assembly
in 1996. He was a member of the Yukon Party
.
Schafer was elected to represent the district in a by-election
in early 1996, following the death of Johnny Abel
in 1995. In the general election
later that year, however, Schafer and his New Democrat
opponent Robert Bruce
ended up tied with exactly 69 votes each, and Bruce was ultimately declared the winner by means of his name being drawn from a hat. Schafer challenged the results in court, and was successful in having the election overturned, but Bruce won the resulting by-election by a clear margin.
Schafer is currently on the council of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
, having served on that body since 2003.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician, who represented the electoral district
Electoral district (Canada)
An electoral district in Canada, also known as a constituency or a riding, is a geographical constituency upon which Canada's representative democracy is based...
of Vuntut Gwitchin in the Yukon Legislative Assembly
Yukon Legislative Assembly
-History:From 1900 to 1978, the elected legislative body in the Yukon was the Yukon Territorial Council, a ten-member body which did not act as the primary government, but was a non-partisan advisory body to the Commissioner of the Yukon...
in 1996. He was a member of the Yukon Party
Yukon Party
The Yukon Party , is a conservative political party in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It was previously known as the Yukon Progressive Conservative Party.-Declining fortunes:...
.
Schafer was elected to represent the district in a by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
in early 1996, following the death of Johnny Abel
Johnny Abel
Johnny Abel was a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Vuntut Gwitchin in the Yukon Legislative Assembly from 1992 until his death in 1995...
in 1995. In the general election
Yukon general election, 1996
The 1996 Yukon general election was held on September 30, 1996 to elect the seventeen members of the Yukon Legislative Assembly in Yukon Territory, Canada. The governing Yukon Party, a conservative party, was defeated by the social democratic Yukon New Democratic Party . The NDP formed the...
later that year, however, Schafer and his New Democrat
Yukon New Democratic Party
The Yukon New Democratic Party is a social-democratic political party in the Yukon territory of Canada.The Yukon NDP first formed the government of the territory under the leadership of Tony Penikett from 1985 to 1992, and under the leadership of Piers McDonald from 1996 to 2000. The party's...
opponent Robert Bruce
Robert Bruce (politician)
Robert Bruce is a Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Vuntut Gwitchin in the Yukon Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2000. He was a member of the Yukon New Democratic Party....
ended up tied with exactly 69 votes each, and Bruce was ultimately declared the winner by means of his name being drawn from a hat. Schafer challenged the results in court, and was successful in having the election overturned, but Bruce won the resulting by-election by a clear margin.
Schafer is currently on the council of the Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation
The Vuntut Gwitchin First Nation is a First Nation in the northern Yukon Territory in Canada. Its main population centre is Old Crow, Yukon. As the name indicates, the language originally spoken by the people is Gwichʼin language....
, having served on that body since 2003.