UCP leadesrhip candidates at the July 27, 2022, debate in Medicine Hat. (Photo: Canadian Press)

By Canadian Press / David Opinko

Voting deadline looms in race to replace Jason Kenney as Alberta UCP leader, premier

Aug 12, 2022 | 9:37 AM

EDMONTON, AB – It’s deadline day to buy $10 Alberta United Conservative Party (UCP) memberships to vote for the next leader and premier.

The party is accepting drop-offs until 5:00 p.m. and online memberships until midnight on Friday, August 12, 2022.

The party will then go through the memberships and confirm the information. They expect to have the final tally ready in two weeks or so.

Seven candidates are on the ballot seeking to replace Premier Jason Kenney in the party’s top job. They are Leela Aheer, Todd Loewen, Rebecca Shulz, Rajan Sawhney, Brian Jean, Danielle Smith, and Travis Toews.

Kenney announced in May he was quitting after receiving a lukewarm 51 per cent support in a party leadership review.

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The next key date in the race is the second debate, slated for Aug. 30 in Edmonton.

The candidates have been proposing a range of policy ideas from health care to education reform, but the focus of debate has been on how to leverage Alberta’s relationship with the federal government to get a better deal in areas such as equalization.

The new party leader will be chosen on October 6, 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2022.

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