INNISFAIL – On May 2 the Innisfail - Sylvan Lake United Conservative Party (UCP) riding will be ready for a byelection.
Six candidates are now in the running, after Joel Loh confirmed he will not appeal the UCP nomination committee’s decision on April 20 to remove him from the ballot.
“In hindsight, I think we entered the race way too late to give sufficient time for the application process,” said Loh.
Loh, the last UCP candidate to enter the race, made the announcement on his website on April 23.
“If there had been more time, a path forward would have been more viable. The party has been helpful throughout this situation and I respect the process,” he said via a press release.
Loh said he spoke with UCP party president Janice Harrington on April 23 after talking with his campaign team that weekend and deciding not to move forward with the appeal.
“We wanted to know a reason why (they removed Loh from the ballot) so we called her Monday,” he said. “She let us know it was in the application process.”
Loh’s campaign has now thrown its support behind Christine Moore.
“Of all the candidates that we looked at, with much consideration, Christine Moore had the most similar values,” said Loh.
Despite the unexpected outcome in this nomination race, Loh said this may not be the last time Alberta hears from him.
“We’re still looking at possibly another riding,” he said. “We’re not too sure at this point, but our team is filled with excitement and passion for finding another possible riding (to run in the 2019 provincial election).
“One that has a nomination process that’s not rushed by a byelection,” explained Loh.
The experience has provided a spark for his campaign, said Loh, and fanned the flame to fight for the province.
“We came out of the gate hard and strong as the underdog but I think we gained so much momentum,” said Loh. “The short process has fueled more passion for fighting for Alberta.”
