Central Peace-notley Independent MLA enters UCP leadership race
Independent MLA Todd Loewen has entered the UCP leadership race, according to the latest registrations with Elections Alberta.
Loewen, the MLA for Central Peace-notley, joins current UCP MLA Brian Jean, former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith, and former finance minister Travis Toews.
He was elected as a UCP MLA but now serves as an independent MLA after the United Conservative Party removed him and MLA Drew Barnes, from caucus in May last year for publicly challenging Premier Jason Kenney's leadership in a letter and calling for his resignation.
Loewen was also one of 18 United Conservative backbench members to break with Kenney's government in April 2021 over health-care restrictions aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19, saying the rules were needlessly restrictive and infringed on personal freedoms.
When Kenney announced his resignation following the results of the May leadership review, Loewen told Postmedia he welcomed it and was considering a bid to become leader.
“We've seen in the last couple of years what it takes to drive conservatives apart, and so there needs to be a dramatic change of direction in order to bring them back together,” Loewen said at the time.
An update on Wednesday to the Elections Alberta website shows Smith registered on Wednesday, while Jean registered on Tuesday to run in the leadership contest. Both had previously made their leadership intentions known.
Toews registered on Monday and resigned from his post as finance minister, as is conventional for any cabinet minister eyeing the leadership.
During an unrelated press conference on Tuesday, Kenney said he expects other ministers could announce leadership runs, leaving their portfolios for interim ministers.
Transportation Minister Rajan Sawhney is also considering a leadership run.
In a post on social media Tuesday, she said she is testing “the viability of a leadership campaign that can appeal to the diverse elements of our party and across our great province.”