NDP candidate Hugo Charles and Liberal candidate Ron Thiering spoke to the Pipestone Flyer shortly after votes were called on election night about losing the election and their time as candidates.
NDP candidate Hugo Charles says that while the loss is disappointing, they are not disappointed in the number of votes for NDP in the riding.
“I think it is good, we actually got a lot more than last election,” says Charles. “We are not disappointed.”
With 267/ 268 polls reporting, Charles finished in second behind incumbent Conservative MP Mike Lake with 20.9 per cent of the overall vote.
“The most satisfying thing for me was to meet all the interest groups,” Charles says about one of the best parts of being a candidate. “It is unfortunate a lot of people haven’t been getting the support they need.”
Charles also states that he was proud to show diversity in the riding as a black man running in this constituency. “I’m putting a different face on the ballet.”
Charles says one thing that was very disappointing this election wasn’t the final vote, but the lack of tolerance in the riding towards his campaign. He says that throughout the campaign he has had signs vandalized, bylaw called on him, and quite a bit of hate and vitriol towards him and his campaign.
“I want people to come forward and condemn it,” he says. “It’s appalling.”
Liberal candidate Ron Thiering says that the final vote was slightly disappointing, although his team had prepared that it was unlikely they would win.
“Certainly, I was hoping to have a strong second place finish.”
Thiering finished in third place in the riding with 14 per cent of the overall vote.
Thiering predicts that some of the votes lost come from a dislike for Prime Minister Trudeau that many Albertans and local constituents have. Thiering says that this was one of his pushes to run for MP.
“Ultimately what I wanted to do was put an Albertan face on the Liberal party.”
He says he wanted to get away from the idea that Liberals are easterners that don’t care about the west.
However, the experience was not lost to Thiering and he says he really enjoyed getting out and meeting the constituents when door knocking.
“I enjoyed myself. We did what we could,” he says. “The most fun thing I did as a candidate was door knocking.”
Thiering says that he plans to run again next election and hopes to have a longer period of time to campaign.
