Incumbent Pitt fends off Millions for UCP nomination

Incumbent MLA Angela Pitt has fended off a high-profile challenge from former sportscaster Roger Millions to win the United Conservative Party nomination in Airdrie-East. The UCP began opening nominations last month and several sitting MLAs face challenges for the party’s nod.

Millions is likely the biggest name to take on an incumbent, though, having served as a Calgary Flames broadcaster for Sportsnet for years. He announced his retirement earlier this month.

Pitt won the nomination with 71 per cent support.

“I am excited and definitely relieved,” she said Wednesday evening.

Pitt was first elected as a Wildrose member in 2015 in the constituency of Airdrie. She is one of two women in the UCP caucus along with Chestermere-Rocky View’s Leela Aheer.

During the campaign, she rolled out endorsements from most of the members of the UCP caucus.

UCP Leader Jason Kenney is not endorsing candidates in nomination battles.

But upon finding out Millions would be taking her on for the nomination in her riding, Pitt said it didn’t come as a shock.

“It wasn’t necessarily a surprise that I would find myself in a contested situation, just given the unity movement that had happened in the past year. There’s no doubt in my mind that there will be others vying for a seat here under the UCP banner,” Pitt said. “It’s been a good election. I would like to thank Roger Millions for running a competitive race. Democracy’s a good thing.”