United Conservatives with three candidates hoping to contest Lethbridge West byelection

By Southern Alberta Newspapers on September 4, 2024.

LETHBRIDGE

Three candidates – including a current city councillor and former police chief – are seeking the United Conservative nomination ahead of a byelection to fill a vacant constituency of Lethbridge West.

Erin Leclerc, John Middleton-Hope and Shauna Gruninger were unveiled as the candidates last week by the UCP Lethbridge West constituency association.

The party competition will conclude Sept. 23 with voting by party members who held valid membership on Sept. 2.

Premier Danielle Smith has not yet called byelection date to fill the seat vacated in July by NDP MLA Shannon Phillips.

Middlton-Hope is a former Lethbridge police chief who currently sits on city council, to which he was elected in 2021.

Leclerc worked as constituency office managers for Lethbridge East MLA Nathan Neudorf and Lethbridge Conservative MP Rachael Thomas.

Gruninger is a real estate professional and entrepreneur with what the constituency association calls vibrant connections to the Lethbridge West riding.

A forum will be staged Sept. 12 at the Lethbridge Public Library theatre gallery.

The winner of the nomination will take on either former Lethbridge East candidate Rob Miyashiro, or former mayoral candidate Bridget Mearns, who are vying to carry the NDP colours in the byelection.

NDP members will vote for their choice of candidate Sept. 7.

Philips won a third term as the riding’s MLA in early 2023 over former UCP constituency president Cheryl Seaborn.