Following Ed Stelmach's selection as leader of the 36-year old Progressive Conservative Government in December 2006, the political landscape in urban Alberta - including Calgary - has become more competitive than it has been in years. This became clear in June 2007 after Alberta Liberal MLA Craig Cheffins was elected in Ralph Klein's former seat of Calgary-Elbow. Since then, we now see both major parties attracting and nominating some pretty impressive candidates in Calgary in their work to earn Calgarians votes.Here are four Calgary constituencies 'to watch' with nomination races coming up...
Calgary-Currie - PGIB national president and recent Calgary Aldermanic candidate Steve Chapman is going up against former NBC report Arthur Kent for the Tory nomination in this constituency. The nominated Tory candidate will take on well-known former QR77 radio host and Alberta Liberal Deputy Leader and MLA Dave Taylor. In 2004, Dave Taylor upset former Alderman and incumbent Tory MLA Jon Lord by over 400 votes.
Calgary-Egmont - Former Calgary Catholic School Board Chair and Trustee Cathie Williams will be nominated tonight as the Alberta Liberal candidate. For the Tories PGIB Executive Director Craig Chandler, Rick Smith, and Jonathan Denis will duke it out for the nomination on November 17. My money is on Craig Chandler for the Tory nomination.
Calgary-Foothills - Michael Robinson, President and CEO of the Glenbow Museum, will be nominated tonight as the Alberta Liberal candidate. Robinson studied anthropology and law at Oxford and the University of British Columbia, and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2005. Robinson will take on one-term Tory MLA Len Webber.
Calgary-North Hill - Former Calgary Board of Education Trustee Kyle Fawcett will go up against Paul Jackson-endorsed businessman Andrew Constantinidis. The nominated Tory candidate will take on already nominated Alberta Liberal candidate Pat Murray.
Other constituencies to keep an eye on in Calgary: Calgary-Bow, Calgary-Buffalo, Calgary-Elbow, Calgary-Fort, Calgary-Glenmore, Calgary-McCall, Calgary-Mackay, Calgary-Montrose, Calgary-Mountain View, and Calgary-Varsity.
re calgary edgmont: bet you $5 jonathan denis will beat out chandler.
ReplyDeletePlease please please please please please please let it be Craig Chandler.
ReplyDeleteI was at the Egmont nomination tonight and there was a good turn-out for the Cathie Williams acclamation. She's a very strong candidate from a part of the city that has never really had much luck attracting high profile candidates for the Liberals. Definitely a very encouraging sign and she has a strong campaign team already.
ReplyDelete"This became clear in June 2007 after Alberta Liberal MLA Craig Cheffins was elected in Ralph Klein's former seat of Calgary-Elbow."
ReplyDeletePlease. How long can you continue to herald this as a Liberal victory (only 35.66% of eligible voters even bothered to vote in the by-election, compared to
52.4% turnout in the 2004 election)? If that's any indication your party is in serious trouble!
"Former Calgary Catholic School Board Chair and Trustee Cathie Williams will be nominated tonight "
That doesn't sound like a nomination process at all - more like the typical "we-can't-find-good-candidates-to-comptete" Liberal Party "acclamation" process. I think Saddam Hussein had the same process in Iraq.
I guess the Liberal party should be happy to have candidates before the election is called at all.
Anonymous:
ReplyDelete1) Calgary-Elbow: That logic would mean the Tory win in 2004 wasn't a victory. Applied to Elbow, it would mean that the Tories can never lose unless the turnout is 100%. It's more of a state of denial than anything else.
The Alberta Liberals got out their vote and now Craig Cheffins is the MLA. Elections aren't decided by those who showed up in the previous election, decisions are made by those who show up and more Liberals showed up in Calgary Elbow.
2) The majority of Tory candidates across Alberta have been acclaimed.
ED STELMACH IS NOT A LEADER!
ReplyDeleteIf the Liberals are targetting Calgary, they better get their media strategy in line. Both Don Braid and Rick Bell trashed them this week in their columns.
ReplyDeleteGood press isn't everything, but it's pretty hard to make progress when both major political columnists in the city are mocking your efforts.
IT IS TIME THAT ALL ALBERTANS EMBRACE THE WARM GRASP IN THE BOSOM OF INTELLECTUAL SOCIALIST PROLETARIANIASM THAT BRIAN MASON NDP WILL BRING TO THE PREMIERS OFFICE. ONLY BRIAN MASON CAN TAKE ON CORPORATE ALBERTA.
ReplyDeleteONLY BRIAN MASON CAN FINALLY FULFILL THE DREAM OF A NATIONALIZED OIL SECTOR. A PLACE WHERE ALBERTANS CAN STOP THE TAR SANDS WHILE COLLECTING 100% ROYALTIES. IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME, BUT THE BRIAN MASON SOCIALIST REVOLUTION IS COMING!
SOLIDARITY MY FRIENDS! SOLIDARITY FOREVER!
FOR THE BRIAN MAKES US STRONG!
Please don't let it be Craig Chandler
ReplyDelete