Danielle Smith looks to defend Brooks-Medicine Hat seat against NDP, Alberta Party contenders
United Conservative Party Leader Danielle Smith has been the MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat since winning a by-election for the seat Nov. 8.
The seat became available after former UCP MLA Michaela Frey resigned, so Smith could run in the riding after winning party leadership and becoming premier.
Now, just six months after winning the seat, Smith will have to fight for it again.
But she doesn't appear to be fazed by the challenge.
"I'm excited about this election because elections matter. It really will, I think, chart the course not just for the next four years, (but) maybe for the next decade," she said.
Smith is confident in her and the UCP's ability to win the election.
"I can tell you, when the UCP got elected last time, we got elected on a platform of jobs and economy and we delivered. We lowered taxes. We balanced the budget. We brought investment and jobs and people back to the province," she said.
Alberta Party Leader Barry Morishita
Smith won't be the only party leader running in the riding as Alberta Party Leader Barry Morishita will also be on the ballot.
"Well, we certainly want to change the way we do business. We see the polarization, the division. The Alberta Party is a centrist, moderate, practical option and we're trying to give voters something to vote for," he said.
Morishita is the former mayor of Brooks and has served as leader of the Alberta Party since 2021.
He also ran in the November by-election, finishing third.
He's aiming for a better result this time around and believes his party can help to provide more choice for Albertans.
"I think there's a lot of concern about trust. Can you trust the parties that have been there before and said it and seen it before but you don't really see massive improvements?" he said.
Alberta NDP candidate Gwendoline Dirk
Gwendoline Dirk will represent the Alberta NDP in the riding.
She finished second in the by-election.
While health care is her top priority, she also hopes to improve affordability in the area.
"The other really big priority here is to get more affordable housing in both Medicine Hat and in the city of Brooks, where people are struggling with this. We have a tremendous shortage," she said.
The Alberta general election is May 29.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
Police tangle with students in Texas and California as wave of campus protest against Gaza war grows
Police tangled with student demonstrators in Texas and California while new encampments sprouted Wednesday at Harvard and other colleges as school leaders sought ways to defuse a growing wave of pro-Palestinian protests.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.