Todd Russell

Todd Norman Russell
Member of Parliament for Labrador
In office May 24, 2005 – May 30, 2011
Preceded by	Lawrence D. O'Brien
Succeeded by	Peter Penashue
Personal details
Born	(1966-12-22) December 22, 1966 St. Anthony, Newfoundland
Party	Liberal Party of Canada
Profession	Metis affairs leader

Todd Norman Dwayne Russell (born December 22, 1966) is a Canadian politician and was the Liberal member of Parliament for the riding of Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador from 2005 to 2011.

Early life

Russell was born in St. Anthony, Newfoundland and raised in William's Harbour. He is of Inuit-Métis descent and was the president of NunatuKavut, an unrecognised Indigenous group, until his by-election win. He was educated at Memorial University in St. John's.

Federal politics

On May 24, 2005, Russell won a by-election in the riding of Labrador, vacated by the death of Liberal MP Lawrence D. O'Brien. His victory consolidated the standing of the federal Liberals in the minority parliament, which made it easier for the Liberals to pass budget legislation. He was re-elected in the 2006 and 2008 federal elections and served as the Critic for Aboriginal Affairs in the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet.

In the 2011 election, Russell was defeated by Conservative Peter Penashue.

After federal politics

Following his electoral defeat Russell returned to the position of NunatuKavut president and has been vocal in his opposition to the Muskrat Falls hydroelectric project.

In 2016, Russell called on the federal government to apologize for the treatment of residential school survivors from Newfoundland and Labrador.

Electoral record

2011 Canadian federal election: Labrador
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Conservative	Peter Penashue	4,256	39.81	+31.84	$89,997.05
	Liberal	Todd Russell	4,177	39.07	−31.21	$30,016.49
	New Democratic	Jacob Larkin	2,120	19.83	+1.98	$29,968.41
	Green	George C.R. Barrett	139	1.30	−2.61	$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit			10,692	100.0	–	$84,468.09
Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots			52	0.48	−0.37
Turnout			10,744	52.91	+14.31
Eligible voters			20,305
	Conservative gain from Liberal		Swing		+31.52
Conservative candidate Peter Penashue was found to have spent above the mandated expense limit, precipitating his resignation and subsequent by-election.
Sources:

2008 Canadian federal election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Todd Russell	5,426	70.28	+19.75	$26,887
	New Democratic	Phyllis Artiss	1,378	17.85	+8.77	$5,886
	Conservative	Lacey Lewis	615	7.97	-31.70	$15,728
	Green	Nyssa Christine McLeod	302	3.91	+3.19	none listed
Total valid votes/Expense limit			7,721	100.0	–	$81,667
Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots			66	0.85	+0.40
Turnout			7,787	38.60	-19.8
Eligible voters			20,175
	Liberal hold		Swing		+5.49

2006 Canadian federal election
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Todd Russell	5,768	50.53	-0.95	$40,903.10
	Conservative	Joe Goudie	4,528	39.67	+7.34	$36,381.98
	New Democratic	Jacob Edward Larkin	1,037	9.08	-0.81	$164.95
	Green	Gail Zwicker	82	0.72	+0.08	none listed
Total valid votes/Expense limit			11,415	100.0	–	$75,653
Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots			52	0.45	-0.10
Turnout			11,467	57.99	+4.55
Eligible voters			19,774
	Liberal hold		Swing		-4.14
Changes are from the 2005 by-election

Canadian federal by-election, May 24, 2005 Death of Lawrence D. O'Brien, 16 December 2004
Party	Candidate	Votes	%	±%	Expenditures
	Liberal	Todd Russell	5,438	51.48	-10.75	$53,970.30
	Conservative	Graham Letto	3,415	32.33	+16.56	$73,509.62
	New Democratic	Frances Fry	1,045	9.89	+0.25	$26,121.42
	Independent	Ern Condon	598	5.66	-4.69	$254.00
	Green	Jason Crummey	68	0.64	-1.37	$78.45
Total valid votes/Expense limit			10,564	100.0	–	$74,995
Total rejected, declined and unmarked ballots			58	0.55	+0.03
Turnout			10,622	53.44	+8.62
Eligible voters			19,876
	Liberal hold		Swing		-13.6

External links

• Todd Russell – Parliament of Canada biography