Hoping to capitalize on the recent gains made by their federal counterparts in the May 2011 election, word on the street is that the Alberta New Democrats have brought in a seasoned election organizer to be the key architect of their next provincial election campaign.
Jo-Anne McNevin is a a seasoned NDP organizer who has managed campaigns in British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario. She was the director of organization for the federal NDP in the late 1980s and she organized campaigns for Ed Broadbent, Bob Rae, and Frances Lankin.
Globe & Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson wrote of Ms. McNevin on February 11, 1997:
“When the NDP wants a federal or provincial seat badly enough, it sends in Jo-Anne McNevin to organize the campaign. Ms. McNevin — tough, smart and seasoned — ran campaigns for such NDP luminaries as Ed Broadbent and Bob Rae, and she’ll upstake from her British Columbia home to organize Ms. [Alexa] McDonough’s effort in Halifax”
The NDP is expected to focus their resources on five constituencies, including the two already held by Edmonton-Strathcona MLA Rachel Notley and Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood MLA Brian Mason, as well as Edmonton-Beverly-Clareview, Edmonton-Calder, and Edmonton-Manning.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the political spectrum, the Wildrose have hired University of Alberta Law student Steven Dollansky as the new Special Assistant to leader Danielle Smith responsible for election readiness. Mr. Dollansky is the President of the Edmonton-Centre Conservative Association and was my successor as Vice-President External of the U of A Students’ Union years ago. Also of interest, Lac La Biche-St. Paul Wildrose candidate Shayne Saskiw recently replaced long-time Conservative organizer Vitor Marciano as that party’s executive director.
