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The United Conservative Get together has introduced the three Lethbridge-West candidates vying to win the nomination and take the seat from the NDP, which has held the now vacant seat for 9 years below former MLA Shannon Phillips.
Lethbridge-West has been with out an MLA since July 1 after Phillips, who held the seat since 2015, introduced earlier this 12 months that she was stepping down.
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The UCP’s Lethbridge-West candidates are Erin Leclerc, a former constituency workplace supervisor for each Lethbridge-East MLA Nathan Neudorf and Lethbridge MP Rachel Thomas, John-Middleton-Hope, a former police officer and Lethbridge police chief who now sits on town’s council, and Shauna Gruninger, a Lethbridge actual property agent.
“As a member of metropolis council, I’ve seen the inequities in our metropolis. I’ve seen the challenges that we face and the shortage of security and safety for our residents,” mentioned Middlleton-Hope on Thursday, including that he created a metropolis committee that addresses downtown lawlessness after he was elected in 2021.
Lethbridge, the province’s third-largest metropolis with a inhabitants of roughly 107,000, has the identical points as Calgary and Edmonton, however is commonly “left behind,” he mentioned.
“We’ve got challenges with housing, we have now challenges with training, we have now challenges with infrastructure, we have now challenges with public security, we have now challenges with well being care, identical to everyone else,” mentioned Middleton-Hope, who describes himself as “sturdy advocate” for initiatives in these areas that enhance Lethbridge.
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Gruninger, a Lethbridge Remax actual property agent who leads a crew of brokers, mentioned Thursday she’s at the moment centered on drumming up UCP memberships in Lethbridge-West. Lethbridge-West residents have till Monday to change into UCP members or renew their memberships if they need forged a poll for his or her most well-liked candidate within the Sept. 23 nomination vote.
Earlier than the vote, the three candidates will focus on the problems with members throughout a Sept. 12 discussion board on the Lethbridge Public Library’s downtown location.
“I’ll going over lots of that then,” she mentioned about her platform.
Gruninger, operating for elected workplace for the primary time, pitched that she’s the UCP’s finest candidate as a result of she’s a small enterprise proprietor with 25 years expertise in administration, gross sales and teamwork, and is an energetic group volunteer.
“I’ve raised my household in Lethbridge, and likewise (in) Lethbridge-West,” mentioned Gruninger, who’s at the moment the Lethbridge and District Affiliation of Realtors board chair. “I’ve a really sturdy connection to our group.”
Leclerc was unavailable for remark Thursday however a quick biography supplied to Postmedia states she has spent 9 years in each federal and provincial politics, together with as Thomas’s legislative assistant and constituency workplace supervisor and as Neudorf’s constituency workplace supervisor and 2023 marketing campaign supervisor.
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“Because the 2023 marketing campaign supervisor for MLA Neudorf, Erin has confirmed that she is aware of the right way to interact a profitable technique,” says the biography.
Dave Wiggers, the UCP’s Lethbridge-West using president, mentioned Thursday he was happy that the three candidates have different backgrounds, offering the celebration with a possibility to enchantment to all kinds of members.
In the meantime, the Alberta New Democrats have two former Lethbridge metropolis councillors, Bridget Mearns and Rob Miyashiro, contesting their celebration’s nomination.
Lethbridge-West NDP members vote Sept. 7 for his or her most well-liked candidate.
Premier Danielle Smith has but to announce a date for the Lethbridge-West byelection.
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