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Calgary Herald

Braid: Monday's byelection bonanza could boost separatists, challenge Nenshi

Article content Three Alberta byelections next Monday come with much higher stakes than the usual mid-term summer contests. Article content They'll show the strength of separatist feeling, and test NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi's support both with the voters and his own party. Article content Article content The byelections are in Edmonton-Strathcona, where Nenshi is running; Edmonton-Ellerslie; and Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills. Article content Article content The rural one is fascinating. This is bedrock UCP country, where Nathan Cooper won 75 per cent of the vote in 2023. Article content Article content In this riding, on Feb. 17, 1982, Gordon Kesler became the only separatist ever elected in Alberta. Article content The crowd at a candidate forum held Tuesday in the riding was heavily in favour of Davies, I'm told. Article content The UCP vote is bound to drop somewhat simply because Cooper isn't running. The former legislature speaker was popular as a United Conservative MLA. He's now heading to Washington to represent Alberta. Article content Article content But there's no doubt about the surge in separatist feeling. The Republican Party, formerly the Buffalo Party, calls for 'Alberta separatism' and 'Pro-Americanism.' It demands a binding referendum on independence. Article content Tara Sawyer is running for the UCP. Bev Toews represents the NDP, whose strategists dream that the separatists will split the conservative vote, and Toews will slip up the middle. Article content That's a faint hope, although nobody will be surprised if separatist Davies wins up to 30 per cent. Article content Such a strong showing would cause a stir, but only a victory will shake the province. As one observer of the riding said, 'If separatists can't win Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills, they sure can't win Alberta.'