4 days ago
Manitoba PCs nominate former party volunteer to run in Spruce Woods byelection
Manitoba's Progressive Conservatives have nominated a party volunteer as their candidate in the upcoming Spruce Woods byelection.
Souris resident Colleen Robbins, the former PC regional director in southwestern Manitoba, was the only candidate who completed the process to apply for the party's nomination in Spruce Woods, the Tories informed party members via email on Tuesday.
Party spokesperson Michele Halverson confirmed the nomination.
Robbins will attempt to succeed former PC Spruce Woods MLA Grant Jackson, who resigned in March to run as the federal Conservative candidate in Brandon-Souris. Jackson is now a Conservative MP.
The PC candidate in Spruce Woods is the presumptive MLA by virtue of the fact no other party has won the southwestern Manitoba constituency since it was created in 2011. In four provincial elections over the past 14 years, former MLAs Jackson and Cliff Cullen won more than 60 per cent of the vote in the constituency.
Former PC leadership candidate Wally Daudrich, who lost the Official Opposition party's leadership race to Obby Khan in April, initially expressed interest in running for the party in Spruce Woods but did not apply for the nomination.
Daudrich said Tuesday he asked Khan to appoint him as a candidate in a goodwill gesture, considering Khan narrowly won the leadership on a weighted vote. Khan declined and insisted on a contested nomination in Spruce Woods, Daudrich said.
Jon Lovlin, a spokesperson for Khan, said the party must respect grassroots decisions.
Daudrich said he has no interest in running for any other party. He said the creation of any new right-of-centre party in Manitoba would be counterproductive for the conservative movement.
A byelection in Spruce Woods must be called by Sept. 24. Premier Wab Kinew has yet to indicate when the byelection will take place.
