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Lewis Cardinal steps down as NDP candidate in Edmonton-Centre

Edmonton-Centre NDP candidate Lewis Cardinal and NDP leader Thomas Mulcair in Edmonton on March 26, 2014.
Edmonton-Centre NDP candidate Lewis Cardinal and NDP leader Thomas Mulcair in Edmonton on March 26, 2014.

Lewis Cardinal announced today that, due to personal and health reasons, he is stepping down as the New Democratic Party candidate in Edmonton-Centre for the upcoming federal election.

Although he had been campaigning for longer than a year, on March 26, 2014, Mr. Cardinal was officially nominated as his party’s first candidate for the next general election. He was joined at the nomination rally by more than 500 supporters, and took the stage alongside NDP leader Thomas Mulcair.

With Conservative MP Laurie Hawn retiring at the next election, there is an open race in this riding that the NDP and Liberals hope to capitalize on.  With a year and a half until the next federal election is expected to be held, the NDP will have to find a new candidate to fill Mr. Cardinal’s spot.

The NDP had hoped to build on Mr. Cardinal’s success in the 2011 election, in which he placed second and earned more than 12,400 votes in this riding which has been traditionally dominated by Liberals and Conservatives.

Statement from Lewis Cardinal on Edmonton Centre Candidacy:

“I would like to take this time to express deep appreciation to so many supporters and volunteers who have helped me in the federal riding of Edmonton Centre. Their commitment and energy demonstrates the passion for political change that is growing in Edmonton Centre and throughout our city.

“I have decided that due to personal and health reasons to step down as the nominated Federal candidate for the Edmonton Centre NDP. This decision was a very difficult one for me to make, but I know that a strong candidate will step forward to build the future that Edmonton Centre needs and deserves.

“I know the desire for change in Edmonton Centre is strong, and that the people here will continue to fight for the things we hold close to our hearts and the future we all wish to see.”

2 replies on “Lewis Cardinal steps down as NDP candidate in Edmonton-Centre”

He’s a wonderful man, one of the most decent people in Alberta politics. I wish him all the best.

That said, I think that NDP members overstate the importance of the local candidate on the voters and were wrong in believing that Lewis could win in Edmonton Centre. Even with the new boundaries, it’s the sort of wealthy riding that the NDP doesn’t win anywhere in the country, never mind Alberta where the NDP is a weak force. It’s unfortunate that in 2011, the NDP’s modest forces in the northern half of the city were divided between Centre and East. Edmonton East is a working-class riding that was winnable. Too bad however that Ray Martin, rather than Lewis Cardinal, was the candidate there and that so many people who should have been working in East therefore chose to work for Lewis in Centre, where the “Orange Wave” gave him a lift but left him with about half the votes that Laurie Hawn won.

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