In Lethbridge, a former mayor challenges long-time Conservative incumbent

The Lethbridge national riding hasn't precisely been a nail-biter connected predetermination nighttime successful caller years.

Since archetypal winning successful 2015, Conservative MP Rachael Thomas has cruised to re-election successful each contest, reliably capturing betwixt 55 and 66 per cent of the ballot and leaving small uncertainty astir the riding's governmental leanings.

In fact, though the riding boundaries and governmental parties person evolved implicit the years, 1 has to spell backmost astir a period to find the past clip a progressive person represented the area — Lincoln Henry Jelliff, who represented the country successful the 1920s.

The spot has agelong been considered harmless for the Conservatives, and Thomas could unafraid her 4th consecutive term. Despite that, this year's contention has drawn immoderate accrued attention, mostly owed to the introduction of a erstwhile two-term politician of Lethbridge connected the Liberal ticket.

"It's absorbing [to] spot Chris Spearman, the erstwhile mayor, moving for the Liberals. This is astir apt the 'biggest' named campaigner to ever tally for the Liberals successful that riding," said pollster Janet Brown successful an email. 

"And the Liberals whitethorn spot a large summation successful their ballot nether Spearman. But it's hard to ideate helium could really triumph against a long-sitting incumbent."

Shannon Phillips, a erstwhile provincial NDP MLA for Lethbridge-West and a erstwhile Alberta situation minister, precocious endorsed Spearman, penning connected Instagram that she had "never been overmuch of a national Liberal."

"But, arsenic I get older, I've travel to recognize the existent worth of friendship, particularly erstwhile it goes beyond enactment lines. One of my treasured friendships is with Chris Spearman," she wrote, emphasizing that helium had an quality to present connected cardinal policies, successful her view.

That endorsement rapidly drew the attraction of the United Conservative Party, who characterized it arsenic being emblematic of the "deep and increasing confederation betwixt the Alberta NDP and the Trudeau-Carney Liberals."

"The kicker and the question is: Why are the national NDPs adjacent moving candidates?  It looks similar they person zero enactment from their provincial members," reads a connection attributed to main authorities whip Shane Getson.

Rounding retired the contention successful the riding is NDP campaigner Nathan Svoboda, Green Party campaigner Amber Murray and People's Party of Canada campaigner Clara Piedalue.

A premix of priorities

Located successful confederate Alberta, the national riding of Lethbridge includes the metropolis of Lethbridge arsenic good as surrounding agrarian areas, on with the communities of Coaldale, Picture Butte and Nobleford. It contains a premix of municipality and agrarian priorities, including post-secondary education, agriculture and vigor development. 

CBC News precocious visited the cultivation accumulation successful Lethbridge, respective weeks earlier the predetermination was called. The outgo of living, cutting taxes and tariffs were large subjects of speech astatine Ag Expo.

Though the riding has agelong been reliably blimpish astatine the national level, the metropolis of Lethbridge has seen its provincial ridings much unfastened to progressive parties similar the Alberta NDP. 

WATCH | How agriculture workers successful Lethbridge consciousness astir the predetermination | What Matters

Kelti Baird co-owns a brewery in Lethbridge. She said issues similar the fentanyl crisis, homelessness and a renewed propulsion for ember mining successful the portion are pressing concerns that national candidates should address.

"It would beryllium of large interest to section radical to marque definite that whoever is getting elected supports lodging initiatives and speedy builds for harmless and supportive lodging for those who request it," Baird said. 

Lars Hallstrom is a professor of governmental subject astatine the University of Lethbridge and manager of the Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy. He said this national predetermination successful the Lethbridge riding is much absorbing than usual, fixed section interest astir nationalist issues.

"People person a consciousness that we're successful a spot of a antithetic planetary landscape, and are [wondering] what the implications volition beryllium for those smaller communities, particularly down present successful the south," Hallstrom said.

Trade, the menace of tariffs, agriculture, drought, lodging and ember mining could each beryllium section factors successful the election, helium added.

Candidates deed the trail

Thomas, who was named shadiness curate for Canadian Heritage successful October 2022, launched her re-election run successful Lethbridge connected March 25. She said by far, the fig 1 contented she's proceeding portion knocking connected doors is the outgo of living.

"They privation to spot prices connected their groceries travel down, they privation to spot their rent travel down. They privation to beryllium capable to spend a home, particularly young people," Thomas said. 

"Folks privation to beryllium capable to cognize that they tin wage their heating measure without having to accent implicit it. As Conservatives, we are committed to making definite that beingness does go much affordable for Canadians."

She added she's besides proceeding concerns astir addressing transgression successful the assemblage and developing the vigor sector.

Spearman, the erstwhile Lethbridge mayor, said his experience as politician suggested helium would beryllium palmy successful bringing national backing and economical improvement to the region.

He added helium believed helium could entreaty to some progressives and progressive-conservative voters, particularly those upset with the existent absorption of the province, including astir ember mining.

"All indications are the Liberals are going to triumph this election. And if the Liberals triumph this election, Lethbridge would beryllium well-placed to person a Liberal representing them who tin spell credibly into the authorities and talk to the ministers and say, 'This has to stop,'" helium said.

Svoboda, the NDP campaigner successful the riding, works with Recovery Alberta arsenic a paramedic. He has volunteered with Streets Alive, the Lethbridge Soup Kitchen and the Sage Clan, a assemblage patrol radical that helps the homeless.

He said he's focused connected the cost-of-living crisis, the opioid situation and homelessness, and protecting Lethbridge's agricultural manufacture and h2o supply. 

"I spot Lethbridge arsenic a precise divers community with specified a divers demographic that are agreed successful our shared values," helium said. "I judge those shared values are affordability, addressing the unhoused colonisation and opioid crisis, and however we tin enactment them successful that."

Murray, the Green Party candidate, has a inheritance successful onshore absorption and design.

She said she felt it was clip for her to basal up for her assemblage and support the environment, particularly erstwhile it came to h2o and section ecology, being peculiarly acrophobic astir ember mining.

She besides said she's passionate astir electoral betterment and astir provincial policies that she views arsenic restricting the rights of transgender and non-binary youth.

"I speech to a batch of young radical who conscionable privation to pain it each down, and that makes maine frightened arsenic a parent," Murray said.

Murray said she believes it's clip for proportional representation, which would let for smaller parties similar the Green Party to enactment successful challenging conversations.

Piedalue, the People's Party of Canada candidate, said she entered the contention due to the fact that of her past moving with tiny businesses.

"I truly privation to correspond concern owners that person been burned by the government," she said. 

Piedalue said the outgo of surviving and the cause situation were large issues successful the section community. She added that Albertans who were successful favour of separatism should see voting for her party.

"Our level is different. We judge successful ending authorities overreach and bringing power, restoring powerfulness backmost to the provinces and getting the authorities retired of everyone's hair," she said.

The national predetermination volition instrumentality spot connected April 28.