NEWS FILE PHOTO
Cypress County councillor Robin Kurpjuweit speaks to the News in this May 2019 file photo. After initially announcing his intents to run, Kurpjuweit has decided not to seek the UCP nomination for Cypress-Medicine Hat.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
The contest to determine a United Conservative Party candidate in Cypress-Medicine Hat has begun, but the number of potential candidates continues to fall.
A notice on the UCP website states the nomination period to fill the vacancy opened Jan. 26 and will close Feb. 9.
It opened one day after MLA Drew Barnes, now an independent member of the legislature, announced he wouldn’t seek to win the nomination of the party.
On Tuesday another announced candidate, Cypress County Coun. Robin Kurpjuweit, told the News he won’t enter the race.
He said he is still passionate, but upon reflection was concerned about taking on the extra demands required of provincial office, considering that his family, which numbers 10, includes a number of foster children.
“We’ve jumped pretty hard into fostering and I’ve realized that I need to really focus on our family” said Kurpjuweit, who said he will continue as a councillor, as well as a board member with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.
“My heart said yes (to seeking the provincial position), but now my brain is telling me that I need to do what’s right for my kids.”
Kurpjuweit was one of three candidates who announced they would seek the nomination that was left in limbo as Barnes made his decision.
Also expressing formal interest are James Finkbiener, a former executive with the Western Standard News outlet who is from the area, and Justin Wright, a businessman who ran for Medicine Hat city council in 2021.
“Both seem like good guys,” said Kurpjuweit. “It’s important that whoever is the candidate to have a good relationship with the premier (Danielle Smith, MLA in Brooks-Medicine Hat), which is a kind of partnership for the area.
“And it will be an interesting (general) election.”
Meanwhile, Barnes has told several media outlets he is considering running the next election, expected in May, as an independent and may be one of a few independent conservative candidates running focused on taxation issues.
“I’m pursuing that over the next little while and seeing if there’s an appetite for that among Albertans and Cypress-Medicine Hatters,” he said this week in a TV interview.
Barnes was voted out of the UCP caucus in 2021 after criticizing then-leader Jason Kenney, and remains without a party affiliation, though the party has chosen a new leader in Danielle Smith, whose views more line up with Barnes.
He’s openly supported a controversial Sovereignty Act, but said the party hasn’t done enough on fiscal issues.
“It’s clear to me that they’re not going to do what’s important for Cypress-Medicine Hatters,” he said, citing his longstanding position that the oilpatch-feed surplus from 2022 should be used to lower taxes. As well, action is needed to address high electricity bills, he said.
The province has placed a cap and a deferral program on natural gas and power prices, respectively. It will also provide a total of $200 in credits on utility bills.
In the local party contest, candidates are required to pay a $1,000 entry fee to the party and deposit a $1,000 refundable “good conduct” bond with the party. Half the registration fee is remitted to the local riding association.
The UCP nomination process closes Feb. 9, with a vote by members to follow, if necessary.
The opposition New Democrats have announced their candidate will be chosen in voting on Feb. 28.
The Cypress-Medicine Hat riding consists of the southern half of Cypress County as well as Medicine Hat addresses mainly south of the South Saskatchewan River except for those north of Third Street downtown or those between Gershaw Drive and the Trans-Canada Highway.
