Chris Thiessen loves to represent the Grande Prairie community and voters showed him a lot of love in the latest election. Unofficially, Thiessen picked up 5,515 votes during Monday’s municipal election, nearly 500 more than the closest competitor, newcomer Grant Berg.
Thiessen says he feels humbled and didn’t expect to top every poll, but he admits he’s most excited to see the potential growth of both returning and new faces around the council chambers.
“I think it goes to show that hard work, a good heart, and a good direction, people can get behind,” he says. “I’m more excited, actually, about the great people around me that got elected around me, and our new leader, because it looks like an amazing team.”
Thiessen says while he is excited to work with Mayor-elect Jackie Clayton in the not too distant future once again, he wants to congratulate the two front-runners in the mayoral race, as the race between Clayton and fellow councillor Eunice Friesen went down to the wire.
“I’m really excited about our new leadership, I know both Jackie and Eunice would have done more than an exceptional job,” he says. “I wish Eunice all the best, and I look really forward to working with Jackie and towards her vision for our community.”
Berg, meanwhile, received more than 5,000 votes in the election. He says his campaign was centered around the motto of creating opportunity and improving culture.
“I think I connected with voters in the first provincial election I ran in, but it was a very polarizing election and also very party related,” Berg says.
“This one was different because it’s individuals, with this one, everyone is working for one of eight seats, and there was a lot of working together.”
The results of the election are unofficial, and the full results will be announced on Friday.