‘It’s game on now’: Jean takes Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche by election, narrowing options for Kenney

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Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche voters have sent Brian Jean back to the legislature Tuesday night, raising fresh questions about Premier Jason Kenney’s ability to hold support among UCP members.

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Unofficial results showed a commanding lead of just over 66 per cent of the vote for UCP candidate Jean, who ran a campaign dominated by criticism of Kenney.

In a victory speech, Jean said he had high hopes for the premier, but now UCP needs to renew itself to defeat Rachel Notley’s NDP in the 2023 general election.

“This is not about an election as an MLA, this is about so much more. This is about the future of Alberta,” he said, urging supporters to oust Kenney in a leadership review scheduled for April 9 in Red Deer.

Blaise Boehmer, a former senior staffer in Alberta’s UCP government, told Postmedia following Tuesday night’s preliminary results the premier has options, but none of them are good. Kenney could resign or call a snap election, but Jean’s win puts “wind in the sails of the anti-Kenney vote” in Red Deer that could reach 9,000 registrations, he said.

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“It means it’s game on now,” he said, adding it’s difficult to predict what Kenney will do in the chaotic scenario, but it’s likely the premier will want to decide his own fate.

“I would never have thought that within three years of his first term, he would be facing an outright revolt of his leadership. So anything’s possible,” said Boehmer.

Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt said Tuesday evening Jean’s win means either Kenney or Jean will soon be out of the UCP caucus.

“If Kenney pulls off what I think is now becoming a miracle on April 9, he then starts to make moves to remove Jean. If on the other hand, he doesn’t win, then he’s gonna have to leave and Jean’s there. I don’t think there’s anything he can do between now and then,” said Bratt, noting that usually party leaders welcome election victors to the legislature.

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“But how do you get rid of someone who’s just won a byelection? It’s all unprecedented territory,” said Bratt.

NDP rival Ariana Mancini, who came in second with just over 18 per cent of the vote as of press time congratulated Jean on the win just before 9:30 pm In the province’s 2015 general election, Mancini took just over 30 per cent of the vote .

The byelection came after former UCP MLA Laila Goodridge resigned her provincial post last year, going on to win the local federal riding for the Conservative Party of Canada.

At an unrelated announcement Tuesday, Kenney did not specifically name Jean when asked by a reporter which candidate he supports.

“Obviously the United Conservative Party, and I encourage people to get out and vote,” he said.

In the 2019 provincial electionsGoodridge snagged 9,836, or 66.3 per cent, of the total 14,829 valid votes cast, while NDP candidate and municipal councillor Jane Stroud pulled in 3,635 votes, or 24.5 per cent of the total.

-With files from Vincent McDermott and Laura Beamish

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