County councillor wins Westlock Tory nod
Maureen Kubinec replaces veteran MLA Ken Kowalski
Westlock County Coun. Maureen Kubinec has replaced veteran Tory MLA Ken Kowalski as the Progressive Conservative candidate in the northern Alberta riding of BarrheadMorinville-westlock, ending Kowalski’s 32 years of uninterrupted representation.
Her nomination was one of nearly a dozen Conservative votes that took place across the province on “Super Saturday,” as the ruling party prepares for the coming spring election.
“Albertans are looking for a change,” said Kubinec, a 56-year-old grandmother of seven. “We have a new premier, we’re going to have many new MLAS, because at least 18 are retiring.
“The face of the PC party is changing.”
Kubinec is up against Wildrose candidate Link Byfield and the NDP’S Trudy Grebenstein.
Kowalski, 66, was not present for Kubinec’s nomination, which took place at the Westlock Memorial Hall late Saturday afternoon.
Constituency officials said 1,233 Conservatives voted in the riding, but declined to reveal how many votes Kubinec received.
About 40 party members turned out to hear the results.
The northern Alberta riding is one of 11 that nominated new Conservative candidates Saturday.
In Grande Prairie-smoky, County Reeve Everett Mcdonald beat two opponents on the first ballot, garnering 596 of 983 votes.
Mcdonald replaces former cabinet minister Mel Knight, who is retiring. He will take on Wildrose candidate Todd Loewen and NDP candidate Mary Dahr.
“There are going to be some issues around accountability and representation,” Mcdonald said of the coming election.
“I think land rights are always an issue, but I think the premier has addressed it,” Mcdonald said.
In Fort Mcmurray-wood Buffalo, Coun. Mike Allen, 49, secured the nomination on the second ballot. He will take on incumbent Wildrose MLA Guy Boutilier, who has held the seat since 1997 and was a Conservative MLA until he was punted from cabinet in 2009 for publicly criticizing the government.
“The biggest issue here is and has always been land release and transportation ... and seniors care is a big issue here right now,” Allen said. “They say people are looking for change, and they are absolutely correct.”
The remaining eight nominations took place in the Calgary region.
Tories in Highwood nominated John Barlow to take on Wildrose leader Danielle Smith in what promises to be a hard-fought electoral showdown.
“We know it’s going to be a battle, but we feel good about it,” said Barlow, associate publisher of the
Okotoks Western Wheel newspaper. “You don’t go into this without feeling confident.”
School principal Christine Cusanelli clinched the nomination in the riding of Calgary-currie, currently held by retiring Alberta Party MLA Dave Taylor, who was elected as a Liberal.
“I think this means we stand a chance in the election to have this constituency returned to the PC bedrock it once was,” Cusanelli said.
Competition was also fierce in Calgary-hawkwood, a new riding carved out of Calgary’s northwest, with Jason Luan defeating his nine rivals.
Lawyer Donna Kennedy-glans will represent the party in Calgary-varsity, while Ald.kelly Hegg will run for the Tories in Airdrie. Hegg will face a tough battle against incumbent Wildrose MLA Rob Anderson.
In Banff-cochrane, Canmore Mayor Ron Casey was chosen as successor to retiring MLA Janis Tarchuk. Former alderman Darren Hirsch took the vote in Medicine Hat, where former environment minister Rob Renner is stepping down.
John Kolk, a former Lethbridge city councillor, won the nomination in Little Bow.
Late last week, Edmonton police sergeant Steve Young won the race in Edmonton-riverview, currently held by retiring Liberal Kevin Taft. Former MLA Bob Maskell was named the PC candidate in Edmonton-meadowlark, where he will face Liberal Leader Raj Sherman.
The Tories now have about 80 of their 87 candidates in place.
Alberta NDP provincial secretary Brian Stokes said Friday his party has 69 of its 87 candidates nominated, and expects to have a full slate by Feb. 13. Liberal Party operations manager Corina Ganton said that party has 31 candidates ready.
A spokesman for the Wildrose could not be reached for comment, though the party’s website lists close to 80 candidates nominated.