Conservative incumbent Blake Richards soundly defeated four challengers to win re-election in the Wild Rose riding during Monday's federal vote.
Nationally the Stephen Harper Conservatives won a first majority, with the NDP, also for the first time, becoming Official Opposition.
Speaking from his election headquarters in Airdrie, Richards said he plans to immediately push for what he calls “tough-on-crime” legislation and for scrapping of the long gun registry.
“In the first 100 days we'll be passing some of that tough crime legislation to get tough on crime, so we can make sure our streets are safe and make sure victims' rights are put first,” said Richards, who first won election in the riding in 2008.
“Obviously we want to see the long gun registry scrapped and we should have the opportunity to do that now. That's something I will be pushing strongly for.”
He called the majority Conservative government “good for Wild Rose and good for Canada.”
“I heard two things during the election,” he said. “First, that people want to see a stable government so the government can plan. And they want to see a strong economy. I believe we will be able to deliver on those promises.”
The five candidates in Wild Rose were Richards, Liberal John Reilly, NDP challenger Jeff Horvath, Green Party challenger Mike MacDonald and Christian Heritage challenger Randy Vanden Broek.
At press time, with 225 of 260 polling stations reporting, Richards was tracking at 77 per cent (36,705 votes), Horvath a distant second at 10.4 per cent (4,958), MacDonald third at 6.6 per cent (3,157), Reilly fourth at 5.6 per cent (2,669), and Vanden Broek last with a third of one per cent (155).
The riding includes Olds, Sundre, Didsbury, Carstairs, Airdrie, Cremona and Cochrane.
During the campaign, Richards said voters had a choice between a “conservative, low-tax plan for job growth to keep the fragile economy rolling or a gang of tax hikers.”
On the night of NDP candidate Horvath's third federal election, the schoolteacher said he was aware of the realities of the Wild Rose riding.
“I was hoping to do the best that I could and I think I have done that,” Horvath said during a phone interview, while watching the numbers roll in with a group of friends in Canmore, which he affectionately referred to as the silver lining party.
“I feel good about my participation,” he said.
On the party's historic push into second place to hold the position of official opposition, Horvath described the achievement as bittersweet.
“We made stupendous gains on a national stage,” Horvath said.
“However, we have a Harper majority, which concerns me.”
Spending election night with his campaign team in Cochrane, Green Party candidate Mike MacDonald said he was disappointed but not surprised with the numbers rolling in.
“I think the Green Party lost votes to the NDP,” said MacDonald of the drop of roughly half the amount of votes for Wild Rose Green last night compared with the 2008 elections.
In 2008 then candidate Lisa Fox garnered 12 per cent of the vote, or 6,390. With 150 of the 260 polls closed last night, Green had 6.49 per cent or 1,951.
“I think some people chose to vote NDP this time around because they saw they were the more likely option,” said MacDonald of the surging increase in NDP supporters.
“I'm disappointed but if you look at the numbers nationally, it's consistent,” he said of the Green holding just under four per cent before polls closed last night.
“I'm not surprised. It's nice numbers for Jeff (Horvath), that's good for him,” said MacDonald also congratulating Richards.
“My intention was to step into the role, not just as a one-shot deal … and the way the results are going, we're going to have four to four-and-a-half years to prepare.”
Liberal candidate John Reilly said he was “quite devastated” by the election result, but accepted it as the will of the electorate.
“We're quite devastated over the results of the election but the democratic process has worked and I guess this is the will of the people,” said Reilly.
He said he didn't know why his candidacy didn't strike a chord with more voters.
“You'll have to ask people that are better at political analysis than I am. It's what's happened,” he said, adding that his result isn't nearly as disappointing as the picture painted nationally for the Liberals.
Christian Heritage Party candidate Randy Vanden Broek was undeterred after garnering 102 votes with 145 out of 260 polls recorded.
“Considering I was running a quote, unquote silent campaign, I think I've done really well,” said Vanden Broek.
Vanden Broek said he did not have any goal for the number of votes he would receive in this, his first run at a federal seat in Parliament, but said his aim was rather to further the Christian Heritage Party mission – that Canada be governed according to Biblical principles.
“My main goal was to get the CHP name out there and hopefully get an association started,” he said.
Vanden Broek watched the federal election results come in with several of the seven Christian Heritage Party candidates running in the province at a shop in Lethbridge.
