The New Democrats and United Conservatives are locked in a close race in St. Albert—a riding the NDP needs to be reelected.
The riding changed its boundaries since the last election. The old Spruce Grove-St. Albert is just St. Albert now, with the city’s northeast now paired up with Morinville.
“We’re in some new neighbourhoods that we were not in before, so it’s been sort of fun meeting new constituents and new neighbours,” said incumbent Marie Renaud, the NDP candidate in the riding.
Despite this change, Renaud feels “really great” about keeping St. Albert orange.
“I’ve been connected to the people of St. Albert for a long time. I still feel connected, and I trust them.”
For Renaud, it’s all about balance. She wants to improve the economy and create jobs, but not at the cost of education and health care.
“We can do a couple of things at the same time,” she told CTV News. “Focus on the economy, focus on the recovery, while protecting the services that are important.”
Her main opponent is UCP candidate Jeff Wedman, a 20-year veteran and former helicopter pilot.
He predicts a close race in the riding, and maintains, like Jason Kenney and the UCP, the election is all about jobs and the economy.
“I’m sure you’ve heard that from everybody, but it’s really the main issue that’s on people’s minds," Wedman said. "If you don’t have a job, your life is upside down.”
Alberta Party candidate Barry Bailey, a resident of St. Albert for 22 years, has heard concerns about the economy and jobs, as well as health care and education, but most importantly for him, “concerns about choices.”
“People are looking for an alternative to one or the other, and as for the Alberta Party, we land in that middle ground as fiscal conservatives but socially progressive,” Bailey said.
Political analyst John Brennan believes St. Albert is a two-party race.
“There's just not enough room in the middle to elect candidates for the Alberta Party, or the Alberta Liberal Party, especially not in a riding like St. Albert.”
Brennan called St. Albert a “battleground riding,” one the NDP needs to win to be reelected.
“St. Albert itself is a much more just strictly urban riding than it was in the past, and the NDP tends to do better in urban ridings.”
The reason for that, Brennan said, is its close proximity to Edmonton where the NDP and Leader Rachel Notley remain popular.
In addition to the three candidates, Sheldon Gron is running for the Alberta Independence Party, Cameron Jefferies is running for the Green Party, Kevin McLean is running for the Liberal Party and Don Petruka is running for the Alberta Advantage Party.
With files from CTV Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson
