Lethbridge candidates begin campaigning as provincial election officially kicks off

LETHBRIDGE -

The writ has officially dropped on the 2023 Alberta General Election after it was declared by UCP Leader Danielle Smith.

The election will be held May 29.

"This election is about families, hard-working women and men who deserve good-paying jobs, who deserve safe streets and communities, who deserve low taxes and an affordable cost of living," Smith said.

Lethbridge candidates are already hard at work putting up signs and knocking on doors as the gruelling four-week campaign officially begins.

"We're really excited. We have hundreds of volunteers putting out a couple thousand signs this week. Actually, over 2,200," said Rob Miyashiro, Alberta NDP candidate for Lethbridge-East.

Helping Miyashiro put up campaign signs was Alberta NDP candidate for Lethbridge-West and twice-elected incumbent, Shannon Phillips.

Lethbridge NDP candidates Rob Miyashiro and Shannon Phillips are already hard at work putting up signs and knocking on doors as the gruelling four-week campaign officially begins.

Phillips believes the NDP will be able to win both ridings in Lethbridge.

"We're really seeing things move out there. People do not trust Danielle Smith with health care here in Lethbridge. They don't trust her plan to gamble with their pension," Phillips said.

Local UCP candidates as well wasted no time getting out and campaigning after the election declaration.

UCP candidate and incumbent for Lethbridge-East, Nathan Neudorf, feels his work as MLA and minister of infrastructure will convince voters to re-elect him.

"Hopefully, there's a little bit more of a track record with people. Last time around, they didn't really know who I was and now, I hope they do. And they recognize all the work I've done for Lethbridge," he said.

Cheryl Seaborn will be the candidate for the UCP in Lethbridge-West, although she's a late addition to the UCP's field of candidates.

Local UCP candidates Cheryl Seaborn and Nathan Neudorf wasted no time getting out and campaigning after the election declaration.

Seaborn filled the vacant candidacy after Torry Tanner resigned in the face of backlash over a controversial video she posted to her YouTube channel.

Despite her late arrival, Seaborn says she's ready to hit the road and campaign.

"Regardless of when I would've been selected to be the candidate, that's really the goal and that's the reality of it, you work hard," she said.

Candidates from parties outside the UCP and NDP will also fight for votes in this election.

The Liberal candidate for Lethbridge-West, Pat Chizek, says it's important for Albertans to have more than two choices.

"We want to make sure there's a third voice out there, and the other parties can be fourth voices and all these kinds of things because with the two-party system we've got right now, there are way too many people that haven't been listened to and aren't being represented fairly," Chizek said.

While parties outside the UCP and NDP aren't expected to win any seats in the legislature, they could still have an impact on what's anticipated to be a tight race.

"There is a possibility, depending on for example if the party leaned or drew its support from either the UCP or NDP to the extent that you took three, four, five per cent away if you got that, this could decide some ridings."