Joe Comartin


Joseph John "Joe" Comartin is a Canadian lawyer and politician. Comartin joined the New Democratic Party in 1969 and represented the party in the House of Commons of Canada from 2000 to 2015. He is currently consul general of Canada in Detroit.

Life and career

Comartin was born in Stoney Point, Ontario. A civil litigation lawyer based in Windsor, Ontario, Comartin enjoyed strong support from local union members when he ran for a seat in the House of Commons, but narrowly lost in the 1997 general election and in a 1999 by-election.
He won the seat in the 2000 election, becoming the first federal NDP candidate to win a seat in Ontario in ten years. He was re-elected in 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2011.
Comartin stood as a candidate in the leadership of the NDP in 2003, and finished fourth.
He was the Opposition House Leader from October 18, 2011 to April 19, 2012.
On September 17, 2012, due to the resignation of Denise Savoie, Comartin was chosen to become Deputy Speaker.
In July 2014, Comartin announced that he was not running for another term in the 2015 election.

Electoral record

By-election: On Cohen's death: