Former Wildrose leader Brian Jean won the United Conservative Party nomination for an upcoming by-election in northern Alberta on horseback from Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche.
“I am very excited. I am absolutely honored,” Jean said Sunday night after the victory.
Jean said he received a call Sunday from the UCP president notifying him of the victory. He said he will take this opportunity to travel throughout Alberta to drive change and renewal of the PCU.
“I will go back to Alberta politics to make sure we resolve the issues that we have with this party,” Jean said.
“There are many people who sacrificed a lot to build this party. It doesn’t belong to Jason Kenney. It doesn’t belong to Brian Jean. It does not belong to any one individual, it belongs to all of us. This is our party, ”he continued.
“Albertans are looking for hope and change and I believe I am the person who can bring that. And UCP members at Fort McMurray voted in favor of the renovation this weekend. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we can do it if we start now and if we work together to bring that renewal to the game for which we had so many expectations.
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The seat at Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche has been vacant since August, when Laila Goodridge resigned to run for the Federal Conservatives.
Jean ran in the 2017 PCU leadership campaign, but lost to Prime Minister Jason Kenney. Jean has previously asked the prime minister to step down and said on Sunday he has not changed his mind on that front.
“The only way that we are going to survive successfully after the next election is if Jason Kenney resigns,” Jean said.
“Now I am very clear that the majority of the people believe that without their resignation we will not have any chance in the next elections.”
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Duane Bratt, a professor of political science at Mount Royal University, said he was not surprised to see Jean win, but added that it will be interesting how he won the nomination.
“Not that he won. It is that he won while campaigning against the party leader. It’s not something you see in Canadian politics, ”Bratt said Sunday.
“He’s going to a by-election at Fort McMurray but he’s going to tour the province and that’s to get anti-Kenney support before the leadership review in April. It’s like a soap opera.
“You are going to have a by-election in which nobody supports the government. It’s absolutely wild. “
NDP horseback riding candidate Ariana Mancini congratulated Jean on his victory Sunday night, but added that “the UCP MLAs have not been met” for the region.
“Messrs. Jean has made it clear, even tonight, that he is running because of his rivalry with Jason Kenney. I am running for the people of Fort McMurray,” Mancini said.
“I’m focused on creating jobs, improving public health care, protecting public education, protecting our community from floods and fires, and making sure we have reliable EMS. These are the things I want to offer to my community. We have a choice in this campaign and that’s the kind of message I want to send. “
Engineer and economist Joshua Gogo He had also sought the UCP nomination in horsemanship.
No date has been set for the by-election. According to the electoral laws of the province, it must be announced before February 15 and the vote must take place within 28 days.
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