Veteran provincial candidates work hard to stay relevant

Experienced campaigners adjust to changing times and technology

Campaigning for public office costs candidates time, money and energy. And for veterans on Alberta’s provincial campaign trail, it takes ingenuity to stay relevant.

“The campaigns themselves have changed quite a bit over the years,” said Laurie Blakeman, running for reelection as the Liberal MLA in Edmonton-Centre.

“You always learn something.”

Blakeman holds the nomination from the Liberals, Alberta Party and Green party, and is the only candidate to hold nominations from multiple parties.

Over nearly 30 years of campaigning for herself and others, Blakeman — who has an earring for each of the 18 years she’s been in office — said the way candidates reach voters shifted with tighter security in walk-ups and condo buildings. But the biggest difference in Blakeman’s campaign? Red Bull.

“I’m a total convert!” she said. “No campaign office makes good coffee, in my opinion.”

While Tory Edmonton-Mill Creek candidate Gene Zwozdesky doesn’t share Blakeman’s passion for energy drinks, he agrees campaigns have changed. Zwozdesky has been campaigning for three decades, and was previously elected Edmonton-Mill Creek MLA six times.

“Today’s circumstances are so different than say 15, 20 years ago,” said Zwozdesky. “Many people now have only a cellphone, so it’s difficult sometimes to reach people as quickly.”

Regardless of how fast candidates get to their constituents, a distinguishing feature can boost a candidate’s profile.

Zwozdesky knows phrases from 33 languages, which he uses while campaigning.

“There’s something very heartwarming about greeting someone in their first language,” he said. “A huge smile is always the first reaction.”

The “honesty of the doorstep” makes campaigns worthwhile, said Zwozdesky.

“My main thing is helping my constituents,” he said.

Helping constituents is what motivated Wildrose Edmonton-Glenora candidate Don Koziak to run for public office seven times — six municipally, once provincially.

“Obviously I’m not a very good campaigner, otherwise I might’ve been elected,” he said. “Most of the people who’ve voted for me, I have no idea who they are. I feel that I’d like to prove to them that they cast their vote well.”

Campaigning is harder than it looks, said Koziak.

“It’s easy to criticize people that do it,” he said. “I have a lot of respect for anybody that goes through the process.”

NDP Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood candidate Brian Mason has seen many politicians face criticism, often for their use of social media.

“It’s a real two-edged sword,” he said. “More than one politician has run afoul of Twitter.”

But Mason, who has been in public office municipally or provincially since 1989, has carved out a unique identity on Twitter.

“I have a pretty good following,” said Mason. “I probably am a little edgier on my tweets than most politicians.”

Mason said he doesn’t tire of campaigning or his public life.

“You have to demonstrate to your boss that you’re still doing a good job and you’re still contributing,” he said.

For others, the campaigning and public office is exhausting, but rewarding.

“You are on a kind of treadmill,” said Blakeman. “But while you’re on the treadmill you don’t notice. You just keep going.”