John Middleton-Hope is seeking the UCP's nomination to run in the Lethbridge-West by-election. (Photo: John Middleton-Hope)

By David Opinko

John Middleton-Hope seeking UCP nomination in Lethbridge-West by-election

Sep 3, 2024 | 2:56 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A current Lethbridge city councillor looks to make the jump to provincial politics.

John Middleton-Hope has announced that he is looking to become the United Conservative Party’s (UCP’s) candidate in the Lethbridge-West by-election.

Middleton-Hope is in his third year of his first term on city council and is a former chief of the Lethbridge Police Service.

He became a police officer in 1977 and wrapped up his career in law enforcement in 2006. Middleton-Hope then worked with the United Nations to develop police reform in parts of Europe and Asia, and was a post-secondary instructor from 1990-2021.

He says his career and life experience gives him the tools he needs to represent Lethbridge-West in the provincial legislature.

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“Experience, expertise, energy and electability. I’ve been told I’m highly electable, I’ve been elected in Lethbridge before, and as a result of that, I think that those four Es provide me the initiative to move forward,” says Middleton-Hope.

Middleton-Hope says he has always been a servant of his community and has been advocating for Lethbridge to the provincial government for many years.

However, he tells LNN that there has been a lack of advocacy for the city on the part of the riding’s former MLAs.

He explains that the City of Lethbridge often speaks with members of the provincial government for policies or funding, but that often times, their voice falls on deaf ears.

Middleton-Hope describes himself as a “Red Tory,” which is a centre-right political philosophy that disavows more extreme views on either end of the spectrum.

So far, a total of three people are seeking the UCP nomination in the by-election. In addition to Middleton-Hope, realtor Shauna Gruninger and constituency manager Erin Leclerc are vying for that same spot.

The by-election came about after former MLA Shannon Phillips resigned at the end of June 2024.

The UCP hopes to select its candidate at the nomination contest on September 23. An exact date for the by-election has not been called.

READ MORE: Erin Leclerc seeking UCP nomination in Lethbridge-West by-election

READ MORE: Shannon Phillips resigns as Lethbridge-West MLA

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