Political Career
Abbott first sought election to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 2001 election, when he ran as a Progressive Conservative in Drayton Valley-Calmar. He won, taking more than 68% of the vote. He was re-elected in the 2004 election with a reduced 59% majority. In the 2006 leadership election, he was the first MLA to back Ted Morton's leadership bid.
In October 2007, Abbott was defeated by Drayton Valley mayor Diana McQueen in his bid to again secure the P.C. nomination for the 2008 election. He later publicly speculated about running for one of the province's other conservative parties, such as the Alberta Alliance, the Social Credit Party, or the Wildrose Party. He ultimately did not run, citing a fear of splitting the conservative vote with McQueen and expressing his support for Progressive Conservative leader Ed Stelmach, who he called a "great man".
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