The long wait is over for Windthorst native Lyndon Dayman.
The former president of the Souris-Moose Mountain Conservative Association and mainstay on the board of directors, has announced plans to seek the party's nomination for the 2015 federal election.
He becomes the fourth candidate to announce his intentions, joining Estevan's Dr. Robert Kitchen and Phil Zajac and Torquay Mayor Mike Strachan.
In an interview Thursday, Dayman said he has always been interested in politics and has long held a desire to run federally. With current MP Ed Komarnicki not running for re-election in 2015, he decided to jump at the opportunity.
"It's awful hard to beat an incumbent, in fact you are not even going to get a nomination meeting so now that he is stepping down I figured this is my time to give it a try," said Dayman who is employed as a safety officer for a construction company in Kipling.
Dayman said his ties to the conservative movement stretch back to days of the Reform Party. He became more active in politics when the Alliance Party and Progressive Conservatives joined forces and was a member of the local association's first board of directors.
His involvement with the party includes stints as president and two years as Saskatchewan's representative on the National Constitution Committee.
Although he is excited to finally take his shot at the nomination, Dayman is well aware of the challenge ahead.
"It's an uphill battle from Kipling because so much of our membership is in Estevan and we have already got two guys from Estevan running," he said. "I've got to make my ground in the rest of the constituency."
Dayman said there are a number of issues on his radar including free trade between provinces. He noted as it currently stands, it is easier for Canadian businesses to ship goods out of the country than it is between provinces.
"There are so many barriers going east and west here. That is something that has to be fixed in this country," he said.
Dayman added the issue of First Nations education and employment is also important to him.
A self-described reformer, the married father of three added he would also like to see the House of Commons and Senate reformed.
"To my way of thinking, the House of Commons should be one man, one vote," he said. "That is not popular in Saskatchewan because we are not populated. I believe if we had one man, one vote in the house and then an equal senate - there would be 10 senators from each province - instead of the province answering to the federal government, they would answer to the provincial government."
Dayman said he plans to be very active throughout the constituency as he seeks the nomination. He plans to hold town hall style meetings in a number of communities, including Estevan and Weyburn.
"I am going to invite people to come in and give me their opinions and at the end of that day I am going to see if I can convince some of them to sign up and support me."
