Dave Cooke

Dave Cooke (born August 1, 1952 in Windsor, Ontario) is a former politician in Ontario, Canada. He was an NDP member of the provincial legislature from 1977 to 1997, and was a senior cabinet minister in the government of Bob Rae. Cooke was educated at the University of Windsor, and was a social worker at the Essex Children's Aid Society in Windsor before entering politics. He served on the Windsor Planning Board in 1974, and was a member of the Windsor Board of Education from 1975 to 1976. He was first elected to the Ontario legislature in the general election of 1977, defeating Liberal Michael MacDougall by over 2,000 votes in the riding of Windsor—Riverside. He was re-elected by greater margins in the elections of 1981, 1985, 1987 and...