Premier Danielle Smith is running in the by-election in that riding because she was not a sitting MLA when she was elected leader of the United Conservative Party last month. Smith had initially announced she wanted to run in her constituency of Livingstone-Macleod. Ultimately, a UCP MLA who did not plan to run again resigned early so the premier could run early in the vacant Medicine Hat seat. The 28-day struggle began the day Smith was sworn into office. So less than a week after 124,000 UCP members elected her leader, she turned to convincing 34,060 southeastern Alberta residents to vote for her. During Brooks-Medicine Hat advance polls, 4,231 people cast ballots — 12.4 percent of the electorate. Smith told a candidate forum in the riding last week that her residents are talking about jobs and economic growth, affordability, health care and pushing back against Ottawa. Smith said those will be her focus areas for the riding if elected. She is NDP candidate Gwendoline Dirk. Barry Morisita, who leads the centrist Alberta Party. and two other candidates from other right-wing parties — Bob Blion for the Alberta Independence Party and Jivan Mangat of the Wildrose Independence Party. “I don’t think anyone other than Danielle Smith is likely to win,” said Lori Williams, an associate professor of political science and policy studies at Mount Royal University. “But that’s not the whole story. I think the margin of victory makes a difference, and a tepid victory could once again raise questions about the viability of Danielle Smith’s leadership.” Former Brooks Mayor Barry Morisita is facing Alberta’s premier in Tuesday’s primary. (Dan McGarvey/CBC) Morishita, who is a former mayor of Brooks, says there is a misconception that the riding is entirely rural and people don’t understand that it has urban elements and deals with issues from health care to agriculture. “I don’t think Danielle, with all due respect, knows the area,” Morishita said. “He talks about rural, but I don’t think he understands the dynamics and uniqueness of this riding.” The NDP candidate also questioned Smith’s understanding of voters. Dirk says the UCP government cut funding to the post-secondary institution where she taught, and she eventually decided to join the NDP. “It doesn’t scare me,” he said of the campaign against the prime minister. “I really know what our community needs.” The by-election was called for this riding only, despite the fact that Calgary-Elbow had no MLAs. The polls close at 8 pm, with the results expected shortly after.
