3 Edmonton ridings to watch on election night
Alberta appears likely to turn its usual Conservative blue on election night, but some races in Edmonton might be close calls for Tory incumbents.
In 2019, New Democrat Heather MacPherson was the only non-Conservative to win a capital region seat after two Liberal incumbents went down to defeat.
This year, it's Conservative MPs who are facing potentially tight local races.
Here are three Edmonton ridings to watch on election night.
EDMONTON CENTRE
Candidates:
- Randy BOISSONNAULT - Liberal
- Brock CROCKER - PPC
- James CUMMING - Conservative (incumbent)
- Merryn EDWARDS - Marxist - Leninist
- Valerie KEEFE - Libertarian
- Heather MACKENZIE - NDP
This will be the third straight meeting between Randy Boissonnault and James Cumming.
Cumming was defeated by fewer than 1,200 votes in 2015 before gathering 41 per cent of the vote to unseat Boissonault in 2019.
Prior to that it had been a Conservative seat for the past three elections.
Former public school board trustee and Ward 6 council candidate Heather MacKenzie represents the NDP.
The riding has produced close margins of victory twice in the past six contents: Boissonault’s win in 2015 and a 721 vote win by Liberal Anne McLellan.
EDMONTON GRIESBACH
Candidates:
- Alex BOYKOWICH - Communist
- Blake DESJARLAIS - NDP
- Kerry DIOTTE - Conservative (incumbent)
- Mary JOYCE - Marxist-Leninist
- Heather LAU - Green
- Thomas MATTY - PPC
- Habiba MOHAMUD - Liberal
- Morgan WATSON - Libertarian
Edmonton Griesbach was first contested in 2015 when Conservative Kerry Diotte scored a 3,000 vote victory over current New Democrat MLA Janis Irwin.
The former newspaper columnist and Edmonton city councillor is now seeking his third term in the north Edmonton riding.
His strongest challenger appears to be New Democrat Blake Desjarlais who was supported with an in-person visit from party leader Jagmeet Singh earlier this summer.
To win, he’ll have to reverse a trend that saw the number of NDP votes fall by more than 25 per cent in 2019 compared to 2015.
The Liberals appear to have a consistent level of support here which may further hinder any chance of an upset.
EDMONTON MILL WOODS
Candidates:
- Ben HENDERSON - Liberal
- Nigel LOGAN - NDP
- Paul MCCORMACK - PPC
- Naomi RANKIN - Communist
- Tim UPPAL - Conservative (incumbent)
Edmonton Mill Woods was one of the closest races in the country when it was first contested in 2015 as Liberal Amarjeet Sohi squeaked out a 92 vote victory over Conservative Tim Uppal.
Four year later, Uppal regained the seat with an 8,800-vote margin of victory.
This year, the Liberals are banking on outgoing Edmonton city councillor Ben Henderson to muster more support.
Henderson has served on city council since 2007 but has represented an area outside of the Edmonton Mill Woods riding as Ward 8 councillor.
NDP candidates have received about 12 per cent of votes cast in both of the last two elections.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Person on fire outside Trump's hush money trial rushed away on a stretcher
A person who was on fire in a park outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush money trial is taking place has been rushed away on a stretcher.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Tropical fish stolen from Beachburg, Ont. restaurant found and returned
Ontario Provincial Police have landed a suspect following a fishy theft in Beachburg, Ont.
U.S. FAA launches investigation into unauthorized personnel in cockpit of Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto
The U.S.’s Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a video that appears to show unauthorized personnel in the cockpit of a charted Colorado Rockies flight to Toronto.