Delong wins battle of Bow
Incumbent MLA Alana DeLong had a strong lead over Wildrose rival Tim Dyck as early voting results came in Monday.
The race to win Calgary-Bow, like so many in the city, was widely expected to come down to a two-way battle for the hearts of small-c conservative voters.
Delong has held the seat for the Tories since 2001. Indeed, residents have voted for the Progressive Conservative party since 1975 — but Delong admits it wasn’t an easy campaign.
She said many constituents told her they intended to vote for her, but polls seemed to indicate the opposite.
A backbench MLA with a background in math, technology and theatre, Delong was once the only woman in a field of PC candidates vying to replace former Alberta Premier Ralph Klein.
Dyck, a former Tory supporter who’s spent much of his life volunteering for conservative causes, said the Wildrose party seemed to offer a better choice for Albertans.
“What I’m hearing at the doors all over Calgary-bow is they want to have a real representative in legislature. alana, as a backbencher, has no voice to speak for her constituents.”
NDP candidate Jason Nishiyama said voters in the riding need an alternative to conservative parties like the Wildrose and PCS. “People need to have that choice or we don’t really have democracy,” he said.
Other Calgary-bow candidates include Stephanie Shewchuk, a policy analyst running for the Liberal party and Ellen Phillips, a university student running for the Alberta Party.