Dave Van Kesteren
Encyclopedia
David "Dave" E. Van Kesteren (born October 7, 1955 in Chatham, Ontario
) is the Conservative
Member of the Parliament of Canada
in the riding of Chatham-Kent—Essex
.
Van Kesteren, who is married and has eight children and twenty one grandchildren, owns a Hyundai
car dealership, Van Kesteren Auto Sales, which he founded in 1987. He is a charter member of the Chatham Sunrise Rotary Club and past president of the Chatham Christian Business Association.
First elected in the 2006 federal election
, Van Kesteren defeated Liberal
candidate Jim Comiskey by 5,616 votes. Previously, Van Kesteren had narrowly lost the 2004 election to Liberal incumbent Jerry Pickard
by only 407 votes.
Chatham, Ontario
Chatham is the largest community in the municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario. Formerly serving as the seat of Kent County, the governments of the former city of Chatham, the county of Kent, and its townships were merged into one entity known as the Municipality of Chatham-Kent in 1998.Located on...
) is the Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada
The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...
Member of the Parliament of Canada
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
in the riding of Chatham-Kent—Essex
Chatham-Kent—Essex
Chatham-Kent—Essex is a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1997.-Federal riding:...
.
Van Kesteren, who is married and has eight children and twenty one grandchildren, owns a Hyundai
Hyundai Motor Company
Hyundai Motor Company is a Korean multinational automaker based in Seoul, South Korea which, along with Kia, comprises the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, the world's fourth largest automaker as of 2009. As of 2011, it is the world's fastest growing automaker for two years running...
car dealership, Van Kesteren Auto Sales, which he founded in 1987. He is a charter member of the Chatham Sunrise Rotary Club and past president of the Chatham Christian Business Association.
First elected in the 2006 federal election
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
, Van Kesteren defeated Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
candidate Jim Comiskey by 5,616 votes. Previously, Van Kesteren had narrowly lost the 2004 election to Liberal incumbent Jerry Pickard
Jerry Pickard
Jerry Pickard, PC, MP is a former Canadian politician. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1988 until his retirement in 2005 representing the riding of Chatham-Kent—Essex for the Liberal Party in his later terms in office.Pickard has Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education...
by only 407 votes.