WINNIPEG – Manitoba New Democrats’ annual convention starts today. The weekend meetings will culminate in a leadership election that could bring in a new premier Sunday.
Premier Greg Selinger will face off against two challengers on Sunday in a leadership vote prompted by a caucus revolt over low polling numbers.
About 1,800 party delegates will cast ballots. As this is a provincial party leadership race, most Manitobans won’t vote, although the winner will become – or in the case of Selinger, remain – premier.
TIMELINE: A look at how Selinger got to this point
By all accounts the race is too close to call.
Selinger has the support of many delegates from labour groups and inner-city Winnipeg.
Theresa Oswald, a former health minister who went public last fall with a call for Selinger to resign, has support from youth delegates, many party officials and suburban areas.
Steve Ashton, a former infrastructure minister, has support from the north and has signed up the most new party members.
READ MORE: They want to be premier: candidates for Manitoba NDP leadership
Royce Koop, who teaches political science at the University of Manitoba, predicts the vote will go to a second ballot and the result of that is unpredictable.
Selinger and the New Democrats have been running behind the Progressive Conservatives in opinion polls since they raised the provincial sales tax in 2013.
READ MORE: Full coverage of the Manitoba NDP leadership race
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