SUNDRE – An independent candidate running in Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre feels that while constituents largely still believe in UCP principles, many have lost faith in the incumbent MLA who is seeking re-election.
“People do believe in the principles that the UCP party is promoting, but they really don’t feel they can support the local representative anymore,” Eckville-area and fourth generation farmer Tim Hoven told the Albertan.
“I’ve talked to many people who were totally considering just spoiling their ballot because they couldn’t support the current representative,” said Hoven, who had previously sought to contest the UCP candidacy before being ousted by the party, leaving unopposed incumbent Jason Nixon’s candidacy for re-election.
Despite Hoven’s attempt to appeal, party officials at the time upheld their decision to prohibit him from seeking the nomination over his internet history that indicated he’d followed a website platform linked to white nationalists in the U.S. and that he allegedly disparaged the RCMP at the Coutt’s border protest.
Having grown up on a farm along the eastern edge of Clearwater County some 16 kilometres southwest of Eckville that’s been in his family since 1908, Hoven cited his past public service, which included sitting as Clearwater County reeve in 2017-18, as part of what compelled him to run for public office.
“The most important point is that representatives shouldn’t just be Edmonton’s voice down to us; the representative needs to be our voice up to Edmonton,” he said.
Asked about the riding’s top issues, Hoven first mentioned how regularly he has heard from those who want a conservative option other than the incumbent, who he throughout the interview did not refer to specifically by name.
At a recent fundraising function, Hoven said many people thanked him for giving them another conservative candidate they could support.
Along the campaign trail, Hoven said he and his team have been talking with people about a focus on four pillars: strong families, prosperous local communities, peaceful secure lives, as well as individual rights, freedoms and responsibilities.
“There is still a lot of people in this constituency who live in high crime rates,” he said. “They’ve been putting up with a high rate of rural crime for years now, and there has not been enough action on that.”
