With incumbents making decisions for the future and nominees stepping forward with the hope of representing constituents across the country, the most interesting race in Souris-Moose Mountain may be the contest to see who will be the Conservative Party candidate in the 2015 federal election.
Following local MP Ed Komarnicki's decision to retire from the world of politics with the close of this term sometime next year, the door is open for a new candidate who will immediately have a leg up on any potential opponents in the general election. A number of interested individuals stepped forward, filing papers to seek the nomination under the Conservative Party of Canada banner, a party whose seat in this region is perennially safe no matter when the country is asked to go to the polls.
Formed in 1988, the constituency has always voted in a conservative fashion, except for one term in the mid-1990s when Bernie Collins was elected through a tight race as the area MP for the Liberal Party. He won the election by barely 400 votes. Prior to that it had been 40 years since a Liberal had represented constituents in southeast Saskatchewan.
That makes the Conservative nomination contest, likely to play out sometime this fall, a preview of who may be representing Estevan and area voters come the end of next year.
Seeking the Conservative Party nomination are Lori Carr, Estevan, Robert Kitchen, Estevan, Phil Zajac, Estevan, Mike Strachan, Torquay, Lyndon Dayman, Windhorst and Randy Schiller, Weyburn.
Barry Furby, the Conservative Party regional organizer for political operations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba, said with an established group of individuals interested in the seat, it's now a joint effort between the national party in Ottawa and the local committee.
"Once the field is established, it's the local committee working in co-operation with the political operations of our national committee to determine the best timing for the nomination race," added Furby. "We're very cognizant that in a rural riding like that, there's a lot of farm activity and we're also very cognizant of the severe flooding damages. We would try to have this at a time when it's most conducive to our membership.
"Whoever is successful, they need to get name recognition out that they will be carrying the Conservative colours in the next election, so there's a time element that we're cognizant of."
He noted because of the geographical size of the riding, there could perhaps be more than one nomination meeting.
Calvin Johnson, president of the Souris-Moose Mountain Conservative Party, said all of the electoral district associations will be holding nomination meetings or selecting a candidate where the incumbent has decided not to seek re-election.
"We're not entirely sure when our nomination will take place here," added Johnson. "It'll probably be some time this fall, we're thinking, but they haven't given us a definite time yet."
Johnson has been involved with the riding party since Komarnicki first sought election in 2005.
"We have the oilfield and the mines and the power plants and agriculture. We've got lots of different things going on here, so it's a diverse riding, and that's one of the things that the nominees have to address to make sure they represent everybody who lives in the riding," noted Johnson.
Considering the southeast Saskatchewan seat is so well established for the Conservative Party, the interest in the Conservative nomination has been high, which is important for the party in maintaining credibility within a constituency that has treated it well in the past.
"I think it's great to have lots of interest. It's nice to see some younger people involved in it as well as some ladies. Ed Komarnicki has been a good MP for us, and we want to keep up that tradition here in Souris-Moose Mountain.
"It's good to see this number of nominees looking for the position. It's a big riding, so there's lots of travelling involved and lots of hands to shake," Johnson said of the nominees who are trying to warm themselves to constituents as they vie for the nomination.
"They have to get out and sell memberships and get support from the membership to elect them into the position. Hopefully, in the end, we find the best person for the job," said Johnson.
