An open house in Grande Prairie will give everyone an opportunity to learn more about the Alberta Party and their three leadership candidates. Stephen Mandel, Rick Fraser and Kara Levis are all in the running for the leader position after Greg Clark stepped down in late 2017.
Northwest Regional Organizer Conrad Guay says the group has seen an uptick in membership sales and interest in the party this year.
“It is not all just coming from former pcs or diseeffected members of the UCP based on their direction. We’re getting some former Liberals and some former NDP members and even some former Wildrose members. It’s coming from all directions.”
He says the open house will be an opportunity for people to learn about the vision each individual candidate has for the part and the province. Guay says they are looking to engage more with rural Alberta and smaller centres around the province.
“That’s one of the reasons Grande Prairie was picked as one the main LEC sanctioned all candidate events. They can have some access to northern Alberta and northwestern Alberta.”
Former city councillor Rory Tarant ran for the Alberta Party in the 2015 election in the Grande Prairie-Wapiti riding. He recieved 11 per cent of the vote, Wayne Drysdale who under the PC Party banner at the time won with 35 per cent. Current city councillor Jackie Clayton was elected to the Alberta Party board in November.
The open house will be held Thursday at the Pomeroy Hotel from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. A party membership is required to participate in the leadership vote and must be purchased by 12:00 p.m. February 12 to qualify.