Liberals approve two lawyers as Alberta leadership candidates

CALGARY Alberta Liberals have approved two Calgary lawyers to seek the party leadership in a campaign that is expected to focus on a city that has been more badly hit by the economic downturn than other parts of the province.

David Khan is a former vicepresident of the party and ran for the party in a byelection and in the last provincial vote.

Kerry Cundal works for the federal Immigration Department and ran for the federal Liberals in 2015.

Liberal president Karen Sevcik said the hope is the campaign will attract new people who are unhappy after voting NDP in the last provincial election and disaffected Progressive Conservatives who are leery of new leader Jason Kenney.

“It looks like Calgary is the most volatile. It is really where the NDs won’t do well next time. That is where the opportunity is for us to pick up seats,” she said Monday.

“There is a real opportunity with the election of Jason Kenney. There is a bunch of people who have been left homeless. ”

Sevcik said recent polls suggest the NDP remains strong in Edmonton and the Liberals haven’t fared well historically in rural areas. The first campaign debate is set for Saturday in Calgary. The new leader is to be announced at the party’s annual general meeting in Calgary on June 4 following a provincewide online vote.

Khan said the race will come down to which candidate can best help the party grow beyond its base by attracting people who aren’t right or left wing.

Cundal said that while she has been approved as a candidate, she won’t make an official announcement on whether to join the race until Thursday.