Six candidates are looking to claim the Livingstone-Macleod riding on election day

LETHBRIDGE -

The Livingstone-Macleod electoral riding was created in 1997 and now encompasses a large portion of southwestern Alberta including High River, Nanton, Claresholm, Fort Macleod and the Crowsnest Pass.

It's been primarily blue since its introduction and with former MLA Roger Reid stepping down, UCP candidate Chelsae Petrovic looks to keep that trend going.

She is a nurse and has been mayor of Claresholm since 2021.

Petrovic faced heat earlier this year after making controversial comments in April suggesting people who have heart attacks should be held accountable for their own actions.

CTV News reached out to Petrovic but did not hear back.

The NDP's candidate, Kevin Van Tighem, is the former superintendent of Banff National Park and a well-known conservationist.

Van Tighem is making the cost of living and the protection of the eastern slopes of the Rockies from coal mining his priorities and says he plans to continue to campaign with residents well past election day.

"If I'm elected, I'm going to keep right on knocking on doors for the next four years because nothing equals those conversations with people where they live," Van Tighem told CTV News.

"Those are the people I want to serve, those are the people the Alberta NDP are committed to serve and I just don't see how you can do it without staying in touch."

Kevin Todd, Nanton town councillor, is the riding's Alberta Party candidate.

Todd has heard about many concerns from residents including support for the local ag industry but says his priority will be addressing the health-care crisis.

"All these communities, we're missing our family docs and our rural docs, so we would want to make sure we have created an environment where we can keep them and attract more," said Todd.

Dylin Hauser is the Alberta Liberal Party candidate and the only returning candidate from 2019, when he placed fifth.

Hauser is also focusing on health care and coal mining in the eastern slopes and says he wants to see more parties at the table.

"For the next election, I want to see a change back to being open to listening to all ideas," he said.

Corrie Toone is running for the Independence Party and owns Fine Toone Customs and Paintless Dent Removal in Claresholm.

Meanwhile, independent candidate Erik Abildgaard ran for Nanton mayor in 2021, coming in second.

He also served as the NDP's treasurer for the Macleod Riding Association in 1990.

Advance polling continues until May 27, with the provincial election taking place on May 29.