The race to become Alberta’s next premier may be damaging to the governing United Conservative Party’s brand, a longtime pollster says, casting doubt on how long the winner will be able to hold on to the top job.
In an interview with Mercedes Stephenson on The West Block Sunday, Janet Brown said issues like sovereignty and autonomy from Ottawa that have dominated the campaign to replace Jason Kenney are not resonating with average Albertan voters, who are focused on the rising cost of living and widening gaps in health care. “Right now, the average Albertan is scratching their head because the race has been focused on things that aren’t all that important to your average voter,” Brown said. “A leadership race really should elevate a party.
This leadership race, I think, is probably doing some serious damage to the UCP brand.” Read more: UCP candidates denounce Danielle Smith’s proposed sovereignty act as ‘constitutional fairytale’ UCP members have been voting since late August on who should replace Kenney, who resigned as premier and party leader in May after narrowly surviving a leadership review.
The winner of the race to replace him will be announced on Thursday. Danielle Smith — the former leader of the Wildrose party that later merged with the Progressive Conservatives to form the UCP in 2017 — has become the perceived frontrunner in the race, attracting large crowds and attention from her rivals for her proposed Alberta sovereignty act.