Summary: This is a new riding. The current MP for this area, Conservative Tim Uppal, is re-offering in another riding, meaning voters here will send a new MP to Ottawa. Among the candidates, independent James Ford, who is running for the third time. He first ran in 2008 in protest of Uppal’s nomination for the Conservative party, and has taken about 30 per cent of the vote in each of the past two elections. His Conservative opponent this time around ran unsucessfully for the Wildrose party in the 2012 provincial election.
Boundaries: Formerly grouped with northeast Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan and Sherwood Park have now been split off to create this new riding, and join a large rural area to the east of Edmonton. Other communities in this large riding include Cooking Lake and Josephburg.
Last Election: Had this riding existed in 2011, the Conservatives would have earned 49 per cent of the vote. Independent candidate James Ford would have earned 28 per cent.
History: This new riding consists of parts of the former ridings of Edmonton-Sherwood Park and Vegreville-Wainwright. Both have elected only Conservatives since 2004.
Candidates
Conservative: Garnett Genuis, Vice President, Abingdon Research
NDP: Joanne Cave, provincial public servant
Liberal: Rod Frank, telecommunications lawyer
Green: Brandie Harrop, volunteer
Independent: James Ford
Libertarian: Stephen Burry
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