With just over five weeks until the first vote for Progressive Conservative Party leader on Sept. 17, only two candidates have stopped in St. Paul to ask for support, Doug Horner and Alison Redford.
Rick Orman plans to visit Bonnyville during the campaign but does not have the date confirmed. At press time, he does not have plans to visit St. Paul.
Gary Mar may travel to the St. Paul area in September but does not have confirmed plans, according to a campaign volunteer.
Candidate Ted Morton invited St. Paul and Lakeland supporters to meet with him at the forum last month in Vermilion, said tour director Gord Elliot, in an email. Morton plans to meet with supporters at the locations of the remaining all-candidates forums and does not have plans to visit St. Paul.
Doug Griffiths could not be reached by press time.
Redford met with Town councillors Don Padlesky and Ken Kwiatkowski on May 26 at Smitty’s.
“It was just a general conversation on the things she believes in,” said Kwiatkowski. The discussion included the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) and policing costs for towns over 5,000.
Redford did not hold a public event because at the time there was not a lot of awareness about the campaign, said Stephen Carter, a Redford campaign strategist. “The truth of the matter is you have to go where the votes are,” he said, adding Redford has been “fairly successful” in getting to every major community at least once.
“Our goal is to gather more and more attention and get more and more people interested in the race, and I that think we’re doing that.”
Neither Kwiatkowski nor Padlesky have decided who they will support, but Padlesky said he will choose from the candidates who visit St. Paul during the campaign.
The PC Association for Lac La Biche – St. Paul has endorsed Horner. Horner held a public meeting with Minister of Infrastructure Ray Danyluk in June and attended morning coffee at the Glendon Seniors Centre last week with Bonnyville – Cold Lake MLA Genia Leskiw, making Horner the only candidate to have held public events in the St. Paul and Glendon areas since the start of the campaign.
Horner stopped along 50 Avenue to meet people in St. Paul last week. Horner also met privately with local politicians last week, which included discussions on costs of policing for towns over 5,000 and MSI. Council also informed Horner on the progress of the Wellness Centre, said Mayor Glenn Andersen.
Leskiw called Horner “a great Albertan.” She said she agrees with Horner’s goal to unite the Progressive Conservatives. “To me he represents what Alberta is all about.”
“Doug resonates very well with the people,” said campaign supporter Tim Schultz. “Doug is getting well known out there. We want to be as many places as possible.”
The campaign will spend a lot more time in the south in the coming weeks, said Horner after the Q & A in Glendon. “We’re going to be all over the province.”
Southern MLAs Len Mitzel and Greg Weadick and Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Lindsay Blackett from Calgary support Horner’s bid for party leader.
The PC Association for Lac-La Biche – St. Paul executive analyzed all the candidates at the start of the campaign before deciding to support Horner, said president Don Schultz. Schultz said looking at the leadership race today he thinks Horner could make the top three on Sept. 17, if he does not win on the first ballot.
One advanced poll will run Sept. 13 and the first ballot will run Sept. 17 at the St. Paul Seniors Centre.
The constituency will hold polls in St. Paul, Two Hills, Vilna, Elk Point and Lac La Biche. If a second ballot is needed, the advance poll will run on Sept. 27 with the final ballot on Oct. 1.
