started his political career as an alderman in the City of Halifax from 1871 to 1877. Federal constituency elections Thompson stood for election three times to the House of Commons and was successful all three times (1885, 1887, 1891), winning the federal seat of Antigonish, Nova Scotia. 1885 Federal by-election: Antigonish Elected. 1887 Federal election: Antigonish Elected. X Incumbent. 1891 Federal election: Antigonish Elected. X Incumbent. Nova Scotia general election, 1882 Thompson unsuccessfully led the Conservative Party of Nova Scotia in one general election (1882). 1 The Liberals did not have an official leader. William Stevens Fielding was the unofficial leader but declined to become premier. William Thomas Pipes eventually was chosen as the Liberal leader and premier following the election. Nova Scotia constituency elections, 1877-1882 Thompson stood for election to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly three times, and won the provincial constituency of Antigonish each time (1877, 1878, 1882). 1877 Nova Scotia by-election: Antigonish In 1877, friends of Thompson in the provincial Conservative Party urged him to enter provincial politics. The seat in the provincial constituency of Antigonish was open in a by-election. With the support of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Arichat, John Cameron, Thompson won the by-election and entered the House of Assembly. (Note that the records of the vote in the by-election are not available.) 1878 Nova Scotia election: Antigonish Note: Antigonish constituency at this time returned two members to the General Assembly. Elected. X Incumbent. 1882 Nova Scotia election: Antigonish Note: Antigonish constituency at this time returned two members to the General Assembly. Elected. X Incumbent. Municipal elections: Halifax Thompson began his electoral career in 1871, when he was elected an alderman for the City of Halifax, in Ward 5. He was re-elected in 1874 and remained an alderman until he switched to provincial politics in 1877. See also Electoral history of John Abbott - Thompson's predecessor as leader of the Conservative Party and as Prime Minister. Electoral history of Mackenzie Bowell - Thompson's successor as leader of the Conservative Party and as Prime Minister. References External links History of Federal Ridings since 1867 Thompson, John Sparrow David