Fresh faces for Alberta
Why young candidates think inexperience is a good thing
Election candidates under 30 think their youth and inexperience will be an advantage in an Alberta they say is ready for change.
It’s an experience Progressive Conservative candidate Matt Jeneroux knows well. At 30, he was the youngest member of the legislative assembly elected in 2012.
Jeneroux, the candidate for Edmonton-Southwest, said it’s “nice to see young people stepping up, no matter which party, putting their name on the ballot. It’s not an easy task.”
Joe Byram, 20, is the youngest candidate of the Wildrose party. He’s running in Edmonton-Centre.
Byram, a competitive swimmer who is finishing a political science degree at the University of Alberta, said the power of a young face and new perspective is what the province needs.
“People want fresh eyes, fresh minds, working on Alberta’s issues,” Byram said.
It’s also Michael Chan’s first campaign. Chan, 28, is running for the Liberals in Edmonton-Rutherford. His ability to relate to young voters is one of his strengths, he said. “I feel comfortable speaking and being with younger people. I identify with them very easily.”
While he thinks being a political spring chicken has been mostly positive, he said his main challenges have been his rookie status and the short amount of time to prepare for the election.
Aura Leddy, 18, is running as an Independent in Edmonton-Mill Woods while finishing her final year at J. Percy Page High School. As a young candidate, she gets “to see a lot more, without having bias put in already,” she said. “I want to research and form my own opinions on things before I take someone’s word at face value.”
Leddy said her age was a stumbling block to applying as a candidate for a party she declined to name. Her application was rejected because of her age and lack of experience — something she disputes as a member of the City of Edmonton Youth Council and a veteran volunteer.
Estefania Cortes-Vargas, a 24-year-old NDP candidate, has lived most of her life in her Strathcona-Sherwood Park riding. She is studying social work at Grant MacEwan University. She became interested in running after her practicum at NDP Leader Rachel Notley’s office.
“Young people participating in politics is the most natural thing in the world because we have this energy ... to fight for our communities and for what we need now and in the future,” Cortes-Vargas said.