While the next provincial election is possibly more than a year away, time goes quickly in politics.
MLA for Drumheller-Stettler, Rick Strankman, is nearing the end of his second term representing the constituency. He says while he originally stated he only planned to run for two terms, he is unsure whether he will put his hat back in the ring.
“I still haven’t made my mind up on that,” he tells The Mail.
He said there are a number of factors to consider including his age and the new constituency.
“The constituency boundaries, as you know, have made our constituency look like Belgium,” he said.
He adds whatever he decides to do, it is up to the voters.
“I don’t really think it is up to me to say in a definitive fashion, it is up to the people to decide that,” he said.
Since the last election, the Wildrose Party and the Alberta Progressive Conservatives have amalgamated to form the United Conservative Party.
“We are still in the process of amalgamating our board,” he said.
This means there may be a new procedure in place for nominating candidates at the Constituency Association level.
“They haven’t really set out the complete nomination rules, and that won’t properly be legalized until the founding convention,” he said. “But we are still going to have to find our way so to speak,
“I am just trying to be cognizant as we go forward,” he said.
In the 2016 provincial elections, Strankman defeated Progressive Conservative Jack Hayden by over 2,100 votes and NDP Emily Shannon by more than 4,600 votes.
