Brooks Medicine Hat residents head to vote in by-election

Article content

Will Alberta’s new Prime Minister get a seat in Parliament?

Article content

That’s what Brooks Medicine Hat residents will decide on Tuesday, as equestrian voters head to the ballot in a by-election that will have all eyes on the Southern Alberta region.

Article content

Prime Minister Daniel Smith, who won the leadership of the United Conservative Party last month, is seeking a second victory in the by-elections he called shortly after taking office.

Her main competitors are two local candidates, each looking for a big upset. Former Medicine Hat teacher Gwendoline Dark ran for her NDP, and former Brooks Mayor Barry Morishita stepped into the ring as the leader of the centrist Alberta Party.

Two right-wing fringe candidates – Bob Brion of the Independent Party and Alberta’s Jeevan Mangat’s Wild Rose Independent Party – close out the ballot.

Article content

Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, said Smith was a strong candidate in the race and would win by a wide margin to cement her position as UCP leader. He added that it was necessary.

“She absolutely needs to win this by-election, and win it decisively,” Williams said. “If Daniel Smith fails to win, she will be in a very vulnerable position. She will either have to win a seat in another by-election or try to govern from outside Congress, both of which are particularly desirable. It’s not an option.”

Article content

Williams said not only is Smith facing challenges from strong local candidates, but he also wants to run Brooks Medicine, not the vacant Calgary Elbow seat where the new prime minister said no by-election will take place. He said he faced criticism for running for the Hutt.

Williams added that Morishita’s strong support could boost Alberta’s prospects for future elections.

“It could be the starting point for the success of the Alberta party in the general election,” Williams said.

Early voting for the by-election began on November 1 and ended on November 5, with polling locations set up in Medicine Hat, Brooks, and Bassano.

The Alberta election Monday said 4,231 votes were cast in these polls, accounting for 12.4% of nearly 34,000 voters. That’s down from his 30% of Brooks Medicine Hat voters who pre-voted in the 2019 general election.

Article content

Morishita said on Monday he was pleased with the effort his team put into the campaign.

“We went between them, built a lot of doors, got a lot of signs on private property, went to a lot of events, learned a lot. So we’re optimistic.” ) We have a few more things to do and we’ll see how that unfolds.”

Dirk’s election chief, Kevin Smith, said the NDP hoped the result would show dissatisfaction with Smith’s early tenure as prime minister.

“This is sending a message to Danielle Smith and UCP that the people of Alberta are unprepared for the disruption she is injecting into the economy and health care system,” said Kevin Smith. I was. “I think she sees a little message in a place she took for granted.”

When contacted by the Post Media on Monday, Smith’s campaign declined to comment.

Voting for the by-election will take place on Tuesday from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.

Results are expected to be reflected after the polls close, and the Alberta election said it expects all votes to be tallied by 10 p.m. on Monday.

The campaign period is 28 days, which is the minimum period allowed by state law. Former Brooks Medicine Hat MLA Mikaela Frey resigned from her post last month to allow Smith to bring about a by-election.

jherring@postmedia.com

twitter: @jasonfherring