Two vying for Cardston-Siksika UCP nomination
Two southern Alberta men are vying for a United Conservative Party nomination in a new rural constituency. High school principal Marc Slingerland, who kicked off his campaign earlier this year, is being challenged by former Jason Kenney aide Joseph Schow. The opposition party has not announced the date of a nomination meeting for the new Cardston-Siksika riding.
Following a constituency redistribution, the new electoral district includes portions of the former Little Bow and Cardston-Taber-Warner ridings. Little Bow incumbent Dave Schneider has announced he won’t be running in the 2019 provincial election, while Taber-Cardston-Warner MLA Grant Hunter will seek nomination in the redrawn Taber-Warner riding.
Slingerland, principal of the Calvin Christian School near Coalhurst, has previously run for federal office under the Christian Heritage Party banner. He has claimed endorsement by former Lethbridge MP Rick Casson and former Little Bow MLA Ian Donovan.
Schow, formerly campaign manager for a Sherwood Park MP and then an operations director for Kenney’s leadership team, now lives in Cardston. Currently a political consultant with Mettle Campaign Strategies, he cites support from UCP house leader Jason Nixon and Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan MP Garnett Genius, the Conservative he helped elect.
His brother, Daniel Schow is also a political veteran, now serving as executive assistant to federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer.
Both contenders have characterized themselves as social as well as fiscal conservatives. Schow says he subscribes to Preston Manning’s belief in “the common sense of the common people.” Slingerland maintains the NDP government’s “statist ideology” is undermining the province’s social fabric.
The sprawling Cardston-Siksika riding stretches from the U.S. border to the Trans-Canada Highway, including Magrath, Coalhurst, Picture Butte, Vauxhall, Lomond, Nobleford, Barons, Carmangay, Champion, Vulcan, Milo and Arrowwood, as well as Cardston and the Siksika First Nation.
Despite repeated calls to UCP headquarters in Calgary, The Herald was unable to determine southern Alberta constituency nomination dates and filing deadlines.
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