Nathan Cooper is representing Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills for another four years, this time as a member of the provincial government.
Cooper handily won the riding. As of 11 p.m. on Tuesday night with 92 of 94 polls reporting, the incumbent United Conservative Party (UCP) candidate had garnered 19,104 votes; 78.8 per cent of votes counted, dwarfing New Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Kyle Johnston, who obtained 2,824; 11.6 per cent of the votes counted.
Chase Brown of the Alberta Party received 1,630 votes (6.7 per cent); Dave Hughes of the Alberta Advantage Party obtained 179 votes (0.7 per cent) and Allen MacLennan of the Freedom Conservative Party got 519 votes (2.1 per cent).
The two remaining polls are for votes that were cast at locations outside the voter’s electoral division. Those ballots will begin to be counted Wednesday.
As of 10:50 p.m. election night, the UCP had 63 seats, the NDP 24. No other parties had obtained a single seat.
However, those are unofficial results. Returning Officer Laura Ewert notes the official count will not be completed until the end of the week. And after that, they will have to wait for the ballots from those Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills voters who took advantage of the opportunity to vote anywhere.
"Serving the constituents of Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills has truly been one of the greatest honours of my life. I look forward to trying to serve you as diligently in the future as hopefully I have in the past," Cooper said to a jubilant crowd in his Olds campaign headquarters as his victory appeared secure, according to TV news programs.
Just before he took off to Calgary to join UCP leader and premier-elect Jason Kenney's victory party, Cooper spoke to reporters in his campaign headquarters on 50th Avenue.
He was asked how he felt about the result.
"I mean obviously I feel great," he said, "1,442 days ago the NDP was elected and I think we've seen this evening a very, very clear directive from the people of Alberta that they are looking for a government that really wants to focus on the main issues of jobs, the economy and pipelines; that really wants to have a government that respects Albertans and really puts them back in the driver's seat and that's I think exactly what they're going to find in the UCP government."
Cooper said wherever he went in the riding and throughout Alberta, constituents raised the very issues the UCP used as its slogan: the need for jobs, to kickstart the economy and get pipelines built.
"Literally the main issues that people talked to us about were jobs, the economy and pipelines, and I say that with a bit of a chuckle in my voice because that's also our campaign slogan," he said.
"But it really is the thing that Albertans were primarily focused on -- every corner of the constituency. And I had the opportunity to knock (on) thousands of doors in other areas of the province. It really was the main issue for the vast majority of Albertans."
Johnston, the NDP candidate in the riding, said he was disappointed with the result but enjoyed the experience, his first, running for office. He added that although Cooper winning again wasn’t a huge surprise, he was pleased with getting the number of votes he did.
“I think it shows there are a lot of people who aren’t content with Jason Kenney’s projections and his thoughts on the future of Alberta,” said Johnston. “At the election as a whole, I am quite surprised. I think Rachel (Notley) has done the most for this province from any premier since Peter Lougheed. It’s a bit of a shock.”
Johnston said it’s important now for the NDP to hold Kenney and the UCP’s “feet to the fire.”
Johnston said the election campaign was an interesting process. He felt Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills had a wide range of capable candidates.
“They all brought something to the table,” he said. “We had a very respectable forum in Olds. It was great to see everyone’s opinions on different matters. “
The most disappointing thing for Johnston was the vandalism and theft of signs.
“The disrespect for democracy and the process and dignity of office, I think was the most disappointing thing I’ve seen in the province. I think we’re better than that as a province,” he said. “It’s no different than cheering for sports or anything else you have a difference of opinion on, people need to show respect and dignity to one another.”
Johnston, who was born and raised in Central Alberta, is currently employed in the telecommunications field. He is also the president of the Red Deer & District Labour Council.
He said he is definitely hoping to run for office again in the future.
“You learn things along the way,” he said. “For me it was definitely a learning experience. I will definitely be carrying this into the future. I’m so happy with all my volunteers and supporters and all the volunteers for my campaign. At the end of the day, none of this is possible without them.”
Cooper also expressed disappointment about signs being vandalized noting some UCP signs in the riding were set on fire.
He expressed the hope that MLAs of all parties can work together now that a very divisive election is over.
"I hope we can all move on forward together. At the end of the day, when we have the most Albertans pulling in the same direction it's the best for the province. And I think any time that we have seen Conservatives in Edmonton and in the legislature, it is the best for all Albertans," Cooper said.
