Bringing some political diversity to the race, University of Alberta Political Science Professor Ian Urquhart has announced that he will run as an Independent candidate in the upcoming Senator-in-Waiting election.
Active with the Alberta Wilderness Association, Dr. Urquhart is the first openly centre-left candidate to join the contest. His candidacy gives political moderates and centre-left voters of all stripes an option other than refusing to vote or spoiling their Senate ballots at the polls (the Liberal, NDP, and Alberta Party have chosen not to participate in the Senator-in-Waiting election).
While I was a student at the U of A, I had the pleasure of taking some courses with Dr. Urquhart focusing on public policy and Canadian constitutional politics. He ended up being one of my favourite professors and I look forward to voting for him in the Senator-in-Waiting election.
Meanwhile, the Wildrose Party announced two additional Senator-in-Waiting candidates to join the already nominated Vitor Marciano. Former party president Jeff Calloway and St. Paul gas line operator Raymond Germain will run under their party banner. The PCs have nominated Doug Black, Scott Tannas, and Mike Shaikh. St. Albert Alderman and former Liberal MLA Len Bracko is running as an Independent candidate.
Most of the Wildrose and PC Senate candidates are expected to sit with the Conservative Senate Caucus if elected and subsequently appointed (I have heard some speculation that one of the PC candidates would sit as a PC in the Senate).
4 replies on “alberta election 2012: ian urquhart for senate.”
I also took courses with Dr. Urquhart, many years ago, and he was one of the best profs I had. He was rigourous, but fair. I may still owe him a paper…
It totally makes sense for him to run as an independent, and with the vote-splitting between all the centre-right candidates, and the non-participation of the old school parties, I think he’s got a shot. I rejected the ballot last time, but if he’s on it, he’s got my vote.
He was one of my professors in university. He is a very knowledgeable and caring individual. Even though all of his classes had fifty or more students, he made an effort to know all of our names. Just by that, he certainly cannot be categorized as an elitist like many people do to professors as he genuinely cared about his students and community. Even though I do not support the Senate election idea, I will vote just for him as I know he has the interests of Albertans at heart.
How wonderful to have this choice!
i wish we could find more information on the other candidates running for senate. there is so little coverage on them.