Aheer acclaimed as UCP candidate amid infighting
Potential party hopefuls pull out from Chestermere-Strathmore race
Leela Aheer has been acclaimed as the United Conservative Party candidate in Chestermere- Strathmore after an abortive nomination contest that has left resentment among some party members in its wake.
The party said five potential candidates had requested nomination packages to run in the new riding but only Aheer — the sitting MLA for Chestermere-Rocky View and the party’s deputy leader — had submitted her application by Thursday’s deadline.
David Campbell, who has been involved in a bitter dispute with Aheer around the nomination, said in an email Friday that he chose not to run because he thought the party would disallow his candidacy and keep his $2,000 deposit.
“Through this process, I have been vilified by a party that I and many others helped create, and have … been subjected to severe financial and personal hardship for my dedication,” he said.
Campbell had accused the UCP of favouring Aheer in the contest and alleged the MLA had improperly used membership lists, charges denied by the party.
Campbell and Aheer had a confrontation at the founding meeting of the Chestermere-Strathmore UCP constituency association earlier this month over Campbell wearing a campaign T-shirt, which the party says was against meeting rules.
Campbell said he was manhandled by a UCP official when he was ejected from the meeting.
Aheer made an application for a restraining order against Campbell but withdrew it before it went to court. Campbell isn’t prepared to let the matter drop, however, and is seeking to have his legal fees reimbursed by Aheer.
Two other potential UCP candidates, Pamela Hilton and Mark Giesbrecht, had registered with Elections Alberta.
Giesbrecht said he was unable to get his papers in to the party but declined to comment further.
Hilton could not be reached for comment. But her campaign’s chief financial officer, Ronda Klemmensen, confirmed that Hilton chose not to submit her candidate application.
“I don’t think she liked the direction of where things were going and she wasn’t sure she wanted to be involved in that mess,” said Klemmensen.
Klemmensen said she’s also disillusioned with the process and has resigned her position as president of the UCP interim joint board for the Strathmore-Brooks riding.
“I think it’s a travesty they let this happen here,” she said.
In a statement, UCP Leader Jason Kenney congratulated Aheer, saying she “has been instrumental in building our party into one of the most popular political parties in Canada.”
Aheer said in the same party release that she was “humbled and grateful” for the nomination and she looked forward “to getting to know people in the new communities I hope to represent.”
But Klemmensen is hopeful that Strathmore-Brooks MLA Derek Fildebrandt will run as an Independent in the Chestermere-Strathmore riding.
The controversial MLA was barred from seeking a UCP nomination earlier this year by Kenney, who said Fildebrandt had misled him over illegal hunting charges. Fildebrandt has claimed he was blackballed because Kenney did not want him to challenge Aheer for the nomination.
Fildebrandt said earlier this week he would make a decision on running in short order.