Cypress-MH candidates approach the home stretch

By COLLIN GALLANT on April 13, 2019.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

For decades, the riding of Cypress-Medicine Hat was considered the region’s rural constituency, but a redrawing of electoral boundaries has changed its complexion in 2019.

Whether that will affect the results when Albertans elect a new government next week will be determined on Tuesday.

The district that covers the southern portion of southeast Alberta now features a much larger proportion of voters who live in the City of Medicine Hat. They outnumber Cypress County residents eight to one after the Alberta Electoral Boundaries Commission moved the boundary north from Carry Drive and the Trans-Canada Highway north to Third Street downtown.

Five candidates are vying to represent the region on election day, including incumbent Drew Barnes of the United Conservative Party, NDP challenger Peter Mueller, Alberta Party hopeful Colette Smithers. Alberta Liberal Anwar Kamaran and Alberta Advantage Party on Tuesday

Barnes said that after several years of party activity, he feels the campaign is moving strongly toward a win in the riding in Alberta.

“We know how important it is to Albertans that we get free enterprise going again,” he said last week.

“We’re staying on top of that with announcements every day.”

Barnes won the 2015 with 55 per cent of the votes – about equal to the solid support he earned in 2012 when the former realtor was a first-time candidate for the then-upstart Wildrose Party.

Mueller, for the NDP, will attempt to break the string of right-of-centre winners in the riding, showcasing the popularity of his party’s leader, Rachel Notley.

“She is a leader, a pragmatist, and not an ideologue,” he told a debate audience this month.

Mueller, a retired teacher, submitted an unpaid column for the News up until the time he was acclaimed as the New Democratic candidate in early 2019.

He’ll attempt to replicate a surprising win for the New Democrats in Medicine Hat’s then-city riding in 2015 (many of those voters now live in Cypress-Medicine Hat), but a lot has changed over four years.

Barnes sought the leadership of that party prior to the 2015 election, placing second, and was one of the first Wildrose MLAs to publicly support Jason Kenney’s plan to merge the two parties, and most recently served as finance critic in the reformed party.

The Alberta Party’s Colette Smithers has said she’s in the race to provide a middle ground option to the two main parties.

She ran for city council in the 2017 municipal election, has worked in business circles and have often talked about her experience of being homeless many years ago and support for LBGT community.

“I’m disappointed that human rights are on the ballot in 2019,” she told the News while talking with UCP supporters at a recent rally. “I think people are being played.”

Also attempting to draw voters away from main party option is Terry Blacquier. The oilpatch drilling superintendent who lives in Desert Blume says he’s joined with other former Wildrose Party members as Alberta Advantage party candidates to give right-wing voters an option beyond the UCP.

“People are so scared of another four years with Rachael Notley (leading an NDP government), but they don’t trust (UCP leader) Jason Kenney,” said Blacquier.

“They’re on the fence, and when we explain (our party), they’re very receptive.”

The Alberta Advantage Party is running candidates in 28 of the province’s 87 ridings.

The Alberta Liberals are represented by Anwar Kamaran, a former refugee from Iraq who operates a service station in Walsh.