Glen Motz (at the mic) is the nominated Conservative Party of Canada candidate in the upcoming by-election in Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner.
The map of Medicine Hat-Carston-Warner riding.
Conservative Glen Motz and Libertarian Sheldon Johnston appear to be the only two candidates to so far step up to run in the upcoming federal by-election in Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner. The by-election has not been called yet but it will be called within the next 40 days – on or before the six month deadline of Sept. 26, 2016.
Barring a political earthquake, it is expected the Conservative Party candidate will win the by-election in this sprawling southeast Alberta riding with a large Mormon community and a strong social conservative base.
Former Member of Parliament Jim Hillyer, who died earlier this year, was re-elected on October 5, 2015 with 68 percent of the vote, compared to 17 percent for Liberal Glen Allan and 9 percent for NDPer Erin Weir.
Provincially, the area covered by the federal riding is represented by Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes and Cardston-Taber-Warner MLA Grant Hunter of the Wildrose Party and Medicine Hat MLA Bob Wanner of the New Democratic Party. Mr. Wanner is the Speaker of Alberta’s Legislative Assembly.
Following the death of Conservative Member of Parliament Jim Hillyer on March 23, 2016, Elections Canada has announced that a by-election must be called in the Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner electoral district before September 26, 2016. The earliest a by-election could be held is May 16, 2016.
A map of the electoral district.
By-elections can produce unexpected results, as we have seen recently in Alberta, but as one of the strongest Conservative voting areas of the country, it is very likely the next MP for this area will be a Conservative. Mr. Hillyer was elected in October 2015 with 68 percent of the vote, ahead of LiberalGlen Allan with 17 percent and New DemocratErin Weir with 9 percent (not that Erin Weir).
Conservatives partisans in this region of Alberta tend to occupy the social conservative side of that party’s coalition. But that does not necessarily mean they are united.
The author of this blog outside the Creation Science Museum in Bow Island, Alberta.
Former Social Credit MP Bud Olson was re-elected as a Liberal MP in 1968 and served as Minister of Agriculture in Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau’s cabinet until his electoral defeat in 1972. The riding became a Progressive Conservative stronghold from 1972 to 1993.
Lethbridge MP Jim Hillyer is now the candidate in Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner.
Candidates running for office usually reserve their harshest criticism for their political opponents, but in southern Alberta a rookie Conservative candidate and retiring Member of Parliament are turning on one Conservative MP running for re-election.
Rachael Harder
Local media reported that Conservative candidate Rachael Harder lambasted former Lethbridge Conservative MP Jim Hillyer at a forum hosted by the local Chamber of Commerce, claiming that the city endured “four years of non-representation” and “have suffered for the last four years” with her Conservative predecessor as their Member of Parliament.
But Mr. Hillyer is still running for re-election in the neighbouring riding of Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner. Due to a change in electoral district boundaries, Mr. Hillyer’s hometown of Raymond is now in the new riding.
Mr. Hillyer shot back at Ms. Harder, telling a local radio station that she is also facing some of the criticisms she levelled against him. “They’re saying the same things she said about me. She’s not attending forums, she’s not listening, she’s not there,” Mr. Hillyer told CJCY radio.
@hatmedhat talked with many of his current constituents who had nothing good to say about him, he is known as no show Hillyer. — LaVar Payne (@LaVarMP) October 7, 2015
Mr. Payne had previously announced in 2014 that he would not endorse Mr. Hillyer in his bid to become MP for the new riding.
Mr. Hillyer was first elected to parliament in 2011 and when the electoral boundaries were redrawn in 2014 he initially announced he would run against Mr. Payne for the Conservative nomination in the new Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner riding. After what was likely a stern directive from his Ottawa bosses not to challenge a fellow MP, he then announced that he would run for re-election in Lethbridge.
Almost immediately after Mr. Payneannounced that he would retire, Mr. Hillyer then jumped back into the nomination race in the Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner riding.
The controversial Mr. Hillyer faced public criticism when he expressed his extreme views on gay rights and women’s reproductive rights while debating his opponents for the Conservative nomination in September 2014. Both he and Ms. Harder have been endorsed by the Campaign Life Coalition in this election.
Despite the public tension between the two Conservatives, it is likely that both Mr. Hillyer and Ms. Harder be elected to the House of Commons, which could make for an awkward working relationship in Ottawa.
2015 Election in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner
Transposing the results from the 2011 election into the boundaries of the new Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner riding gives the Conservatives 25,659 votes (68.7 percent), New Democrats 5,578 votes (14.9 percent), Liberals 4,165 votes (11.1 percent) and the Greens 1,658 (4.4 percent).
Transposing the results from the 2011 election into the boundaries of the redrawn Lethbridge riding gives the Conservatives 21,617 votes (52.5 percent), New Democrats 12,329 votes (29.9 percent), Liberals 3,759 votes (9.13 percent) and the Greens 1,845 (4.4 percent).
Haley Brown was acclaimed as the Liberal Party candidate in Calgary-Midnapore.
With reports that the Conservatives may call the next federal election as soon as next week, resulting in an potential eleven week election campaign, parties are still nominating candidates in Alberta. The Conservatives and Liberals are close to nominating a full-slate of candidates, with 33 and 25 candidates nominated in the province’s 34 ridings. The New Democratic Party is quickly choosing candidates after pausing nominations earlier this year to focus on the provincial election (which appears to have paid off for the NDP, as they won the provincial election).
Here is the latest list of federal nomination updates from Alberta:
– Haley Brown defeated Harbaksh Sekhon and Tanya MacPherson to become the Liberal candidate in Calgary-Midnapore.
– Teacher Bruce Kaufman has announced plans to seek the NDP nomination in the Calgary-Nose Hill riding. The nomination meeting is tentatively scheduled for August 25, 2015.
– Teacher and lawyer Kerry Cundal was acclaimed as the Liberal candidate in Calgary-Signal Hill. She is an adjudicator with the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Mrs. Cundal replaces Katherine Kowalchuk, who withdrew as the Liberal candidate to focus on her legal business.
– Lucas Cleveland, Jasvir Deol and Colin Stubbs are seeking the NDP nomination in Edmonton-Mill Woods scheduled for August 26, 2015.
– Geoffrey Cappannounced plans to run for the far-right Christian Heritage Party in Lethbridge. Mr. Capp previously ran in this riding in the 2011 and 2008 elections. He was the Christian Heritage candidate in Yukon in the 1993, 1997, 2001 and 2004 federal elections.
– Erin Weir, a registered nurse, has been acclaimed as the NDP candidate in southern Alberta’s Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner riding.
These updates have been added to the list of nominees and nomination candidates planning to run in Canada’s 2015 general election in Alberta. Please email david.cournoyer [at] gmail.com if there are additions to the list. Thank you.
Preparation for the 2015 federal election continues as parties nominate their candidates in Alberta’s 34 ridings. The Conservatives and Liberals have most of their candidates in place, with the New Democratic Party now holding a flurry of nomination meetings across the province.
Here are the latest candidate nominations in Alberta:
Calgary-Confederation: University of Calgary PhD Arti Modgill, consultant Marc Power, and former journalist Kirk Heuser are seeking the NDP nomination. Mr. Power has received the endorsements of Calgary-Currie MLA Brian Malkinson and Calgary-Hawkwood MLA Michael Connolly.
Calgary-Forest Lawn: Myra D’Souza and Abdou Souraya is seeking the NDP nomination. Mr. Souraya is the Executive Assistant to the Director of Calgary Transit.
Calgary-Rocky Ridge: Policy analyst Stephanie Kot is seeking the NDP nomination.
Calgary-Skyview: Mohammad Tayyab is seeking the NDP nomination.
Calgary-Signal Hill: Lawyer Katherine Kowalchuk has withdrawn as the Liberal candidate in this west Calgary riding to focus on her legal business.
Edmonton-Centre: Athabasca University professor Mark Crawford has entered the NDP nomination contest. He will face community activist Reakash Walters and labour federation president Gil McGowan at a August 23, 2015 nomination meeting.
Edmonton-Griesbach: University of Alberta instructor Brian Gold has replaced Daniol Coles as the Liberal candidate. NDP candidate Janis Irwin launched her campaign this month in the company of many supporters, including local NDP MLAs Sarah Hoffman, David Eggen, Deron Bilous, Chris Nielson and Heather Sweet.
Edmonton-Riverbend: Two-time Wildrose Party candidate Ian Crawford is challenging former Progressive Conservative MLA Matt Jeneroux for the Conservative Party nomination. Mr. Crawford ran in Edmonton-Whitemud in 2012 and Edmonton-Riverbend in 2015.
Edmonton-Wetaskiwin: Nadine Bailey and Fritz Kathryn Bitz are seeking the NDP nomination scheduled for August 17, 2015 in Leduc. Ms. Bailey was the NDP candidate in Edmonton-Mill Woods-Beaumont in the 2011 federal election and Edmonton-Centre in the 2012 provincial election.
Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner: Fort Macleod nurse Erin Weir is seeking the NDP nomination.
Red Deer-Mountain View: Red Deer public school board trustee Dianne Macaulay is seeking the NDP nomination. Ms. Macaulay was first elected as a trustee in 2004.
St. Albert-Edmonton: Transit Operator Darlene Malayko is seeking the NDP nomination.
