Tory poised to upset Hinman
PC challenger Linda Johnson appeared to on her way to taking back a former Tory stronghold in Calgary-glenmore At press time, Johnson had opened up an approximately 1,000-vote lead on Wildrose incumbent Paul Hinman.
“It just goes to show if you work hard every day of the campaign, it pays off,” Johns on’s c a mpaign manager, Jonathan Moser said.
Hinman, 52, was the Wildrose party’s original MLA, elected under its old banner, Wildrose Alliance, in the southern Alberta riding of Cardston-taber-warner in 2004.
At dissolution of the legislature, there were four Wildrose MLAS, but Hinman’s three caucus mates crossed the floor and he remained the only one elected to the house.
“It’s special to defeat the only elected Wildrose MLA,” Moser said.
While Johnson’s campaign was claiming victory at press time, it’s unclear if Hinman was: his campaign couldn’t immediately be reached.
Hinman was his party’s leader and lone MLA when elected in 2004, but lost his seat in the 2008 general election.
Hinman returned to the house as MLA for CalgaryGlenmore in 2009, but it wasn’t easy: he won a threeway dogfight to replace longtime PC cabinet minister Ron Stevens.
Johnson, 53, is a rookie candidate but no political neophyte: she once worked as an assistant to former Calgary Centre MP Harvie Andre and as a constituency assistant to former Calgary West MP Jim Hawkes.
Representatives for Hinman’s campaign didn’t comment at press time.