Five strong candidates prepare to fight for Edmonton-Glenora

By Elizabeth Walters

EDMONTON — Edmonton-Glenora has always been a competitive riding, but this year it has become the race to watch.
The candidates running have proven their aptitude and are ready to fight for the riding.

Heather Klimchuk, the Conservative incumbent who won the riding from Liberal Bruce Miller in 2008, was recently sworn into Premier Alison Redford’s cabinet as the minister of culture and community services. Klimchuk hopes her record as a volunteer for the community will help win her votes.

Being a mom and a volunteer made Klimchuk want to become an MLA.

“One of the things I’ve worked hard on is being visible. I think that perhaps some of the folks who are running, were perhaps not as visible as they could have been,” she said. “People kind of choose where they think they should run. I chose this community because this is where I raised my family.”

Edmonton-Glenora is the prize riding for one lucky candidate in the spring election. Photograph by Elizabeth Walters.

The newest competitor to join is Wildrose candidate Don Koziak, a strong fiscal conservative who believes in small government and is running in Glenora because, “Well, I live in Glenora.”

“It’s been a constituency that’s not a safe constituency for any party,” Koziak said. “So, I guess, everybody sees it that they may have a reasonable chance here.”

In 2007, Koziak finished second in his bid for mayor, and again came close in Ward 2 in 2010. “I think that we’re going to find it’s a very tight race, with five credible candidates,” he said of his foray into provincial politics.

“It will be too difficult for anybody to strategically place their vote, I think they’ll more likely vote with their heart for whoever candidate they like best,” Koziak said. “It’s going to be a close five-way race.”

Defeated by only 104 votes in 2008, Bruce Miller, who is running for the Liberal party against Klimchuk once again, hopes he can win back the riding.

“I’ve lived here for a long time and I was the MLA for Glenora from 2004 to 2008,” Miller said. “So for me it’s kind of like unfinished business and I really enjoyed serving the people, so I would like to do it again.”

All-stars have flocked to Glenora because the riding is always changing party hands.

“I think people in various parties think they have a really good chance, because it’s always very competitive,” Miller said.

As for his chances, Miller believes being a part of the Liberal party will give him a lead against the competitors.

“It’s more difficult because they don’t start with a base of support, so it’s more challenging,” he said. “I think the Conservative and Liberal candidates, whoever they are, can always count on a good base of support that’s been there for a couple decades.”

Not everyone agrees with him, though.

“We’ve always had very strong support here,” said NDP candidate Ray Martin, who led the party from 1984 to 1993.

“Glenora can’t be taken for granted by any party,” Martin said. “I think the riding’s very much open for the right candidate.”

As there are so many big names, vote splitting may be a concern, but Martin is hoping it will work in his favour. “The vote splitting on the right, for the Wildrose and the Conservatives, could be for our benefit.”

Sue Huff, candidate for the Alberta Party, chose Glenora because it is her home.

“Really for me there’s no other constituency that I would feel comfortable running in,” said Huff.

“It’s been a community that’s been open-minded, and so it has gone in different directions over the years,” said Huff, a former Edmonton Public School Board trustee and former interim leader of the Alberta Party. “People see it as a place for opportunity, so I think that’s why it’s of interest.”

It’s that open-mindedness that Huff hopes will push her past the competitors.

“I think it’s a fantastic community because of its diversity. There are 14 different neighbourhoods in the constituency and we have a little bit of everything.”

“I’ve been out door-knocking for two months now, and what I’m hearing is that people are ready for change,” Huff said.

“Vote splitting is not as much of a concern as the fact that we have typically very low voter turnout in this province, and I think that anything you can do to get more people engaged, to get more people interested and to have more voices heard is positive. So I see the strong field as a positive not a negative,” she said.

Klimchuk also hopes to get more people out to vote.

“I’m concerned about voter turnout,” Klimchuk said. “I think that splitting is very obvious in a low voter turnout, but I think that’s something I’m working very hard at.”

A provincial election is expected in the spring.

WaltersE5@mymail.macewan.ca