KELOWNA–It’s a strange way to run for political office.
Kelowna’s Gary Adams sought the Green Party nomination in the riding of Kelowna – Lake Country, and won, despite his platform.
Adams was vocal about seeking the nomination, just to step aside and endorse the Liberal in the Riding instead. It’s unusual – but not unprecedented according to UBCO Professor Carey Doberstein.
“This actually happened with Green Party in the 2008 election where Elizabeth May asked for cooperation from the Liberal leader at the time to not run a candidate in a riding in Nova Scotia. The strategy was to consolidate the votes from the opposition parties to defeat Peter Mackay,” he says.
In this case, the cooperation between Fuhr and Adams was a bid to unseat Conservative incumbent Ron Cannen.
Fuhr also says his values and goals are in line with Adams and the Greens in several areas and he is proud of the partnership they formed.
On Tuesday, The Green Party stripped Adams from the ballot and will not replace him. The party says it can’t be seen as endorsing a different political party than it’s own.
The former Candidate says he will continue to work on Stephen Fuhr’s campaign. Adams wasn’t talking Wednesay after being removed from the ballot, but issued a written statement which reads in part;
I am pleased that our party and EDA executive will be respecting our members’ grassroots decision by not running a candidate and freeing local members to work on other campaigns, including to join me on Fuhr’s.
Canadians go to the polls October 19
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