Darrell Rankin - CPC-M Leader

CPC-M Leader

Rankin moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba in 1995, after the Ontario election. The Communist Party of Canada - Manitoba had been without effective leadership for several years, and Rankin was chosen as the party's provincial organizer before the year was over. He coordinated the CPC-M's 75th anniversary banquet in early 1996, and was elected party leader later in the year. He has led the party in the 1999, 2003 and 2007 provincial elections.

In January 2004, Rankin was challenged for the CPC-M leadership by Paul Sidon. He received 79% of delegate support, against 21% for Sidon.

Rankin is a founding member of Peace Alliance Winnipeg and a member of the No War Coalition (Manitoba). He helped organize protests against the 1999 Kosovo Conflict, the 2001 NATO invasion of Afghanistan and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He also writes occasional articles for People's Voice, the newspaper of the Communist Party. In November 2007, he organized a party at Winnipeg's Ukrainian Labour Temple to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Russian Revolution.

Rankin has campaigned for public office several times, although he has never been elected. IN March 2006, he was the leader of Communist Party of Canada's Peace and Disarmament Coalition. He is not related to Naomi Rankin, the leader of the Communist Party of Canada - Alberta.