Kyle Kasawski defeated County Councillor Katie Berghofer, former MLA Annie McKitrick, and teacher Jeff Manchak to win the Alberta NDP nomination in Sherwood Park.
“I am very grateful that the members of this community have trusted me to be their representative in the next provincial election,” said Kasawski. “I believe in the vision that Rachel Notley has for Alberta, and I am excited to be joining her team to bring that vision to life.”
Kasawski is a renewable energy expert who taught at NAIT’s Alternative Energy Technology Program from 2017 to 2021.
The suburban riding located just east of Edmonton is currently represented by United Conservative Party MLA Jordan Walker. He was first elected in 2019 with 45 per cent of the vote.
McKitrick represented the riding as an NDP MLA from 2015 to 2019.
The riding is expected to be hotly contested by the UCP and NDP in the next election and is a critical pickup for the NDP if they are to form government.
Soon to be nominated
Today the NDP are expected to nominate Calgary Transit operator Raj Jessel as their candidate in Chestermere-Strathmore. Jessel was the federal NDP candidate in Calgary-Shepard in the 2021 election.
Cheryl Hunter Loewen is expected to be nominated as the NDP candidate in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills on October 1.
And on October 5, former Red Deer City Manager Craig Curtis and past school board candidate Jaelene Tweedle will be on the ballot as NDP members in Red Deer-North choose their next candidate.
The NDP have now nominated candidates in 51 of Alberta’s 87 electoral districts, with seven additional nomination meetings scheduled in the coming weeks.
The UCP has 36 nominated candidates and appears to have halted nominating new candidates until after the October 6 leadership vote. The Alberta Party has three candidates nominated.
(I am launching a Substack. Sign up at Daveberta Substack).
