PC Leader Redford retains Calgary-elbow with ease

Tory leader Alison Redford was set to easily hang on to her southwest Calgary riding Monday, holding a healthy lead over the Wildrose challenger.

Her strong showing comes just a week after it appeared the race in Calgary-elbow could be tight, making it one of the more closely watched ridings in southern Alberta.

But it was clear the PC were able to adeptly fend off the Wildrose challenge in the riding, even when it became a target with Wildrose leader Danielle Smith stopping there on Friday.

Had Wildrose candidate James Cole managed to pull off a win, it would have been a major coup for the party. On Monday, Cole said it’s clear there was massive shift in the last seven days of the campaign.

He acknowledged the party was plagued by controversial comments from two candidates, one over ethnicity, one over homosexuality.

“It was clearly a material negative for our campaign,” he said. “I can tell you I heard it at the doors.”

At his campaign headquarters there was quiet astonishment and disappointment at how well the Tories had done and how short of expectations Wildrose had performed.

Calgary-elbow, which lies south of the city core and stretches from Macleod Trail to Glamorgan, is one riding at heart of Tory lore.

Also running this election was Beena Ashar for the Liberals, Craig Coolahan for the New Democrats, William Hamilton for the Evergreens and Greg Clark for the Alberta Party.