Anti-Tory campaigners want to back single byelection candidate

Some anti-Tory campaigners are urging Liberal, New Democratic and Green voters to back just one candidate in an upcoming Calgary byelection.

The Calgary Glenmore seat in the provincial legislature was left vacant by deputy premier Ron Stevens, who stepped down last month and was appointed an Alberta Court of Queen's Bench judge.

The Conservatives have acclaimed Ward 13 Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart as their candidate.

Phil Elder, who has been involved in politics in Calgary for more than two decades and even carried the banner for the New Democrats in the 1980s, is the president of a new group calling itself the Democratic Renewal Project.

If three provincial parties field a single candidate — a Liberal — they can defeat the Conservative candidate and send a strong message to the Stelmach government, Elder said.

"We looked at the results of the 2008 general election and discovered that in Glenmore the Liberal candidate, who we will back this time, had about eight times as many votes as either the Greens or the New Democrats," he said.

'Very interesting contest'

Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal College, said byelections often become barometers on how a government is doing because the stakes are relatively low. There's a good chance Elder's strategy will work, particularly with no incumbent running, she said.

"So for someone with [Steven's] strength to be gone and no one with the same strength to take his place [and] a history of strong showings for the Liberals and NDP, I think it's really, really going to be a very interesting contest."

Corey Hogan has said he will run for the Liberals and Paul Hinman is interested in running for the Wildrose Alliance. The Alberta Social Credit party has announced that its leader, Len Skowronski, will also run.

Premier Ed Stelmach has six months to call the vote but has indicated it likely won't happen until September or October.