Senior members of the UCP – as high as Alberta Premier Jason Kenney – have been trying to recruit high profile candidates to run against Jeromy Farkas – and possibly Naheed Nenshi – in Calgary’s mayoralty race, the sources tell the Western Standard..A high-ranking UCP insider who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Kenney is leery of the conservative Farkas candidacy and wants someone with closer ties to the Tory establishment..The source said former Tory cabinet minister Gary Mar and former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith have been approached and urged to run, with Mar approached directly by Kenney..When contacted Tuesday by the Western Standard, Mar admitted some UCP members have approached him, but denied that Kenney was personally involved..The Tory source said Mar told him that Kenney personally met with him to discuss a mayoral run, but that Mar was uninterested..“Lots a people have suggested I run but my time in public life is over,” Mar said in an interview..Mar held six different cabinet posts as a Calgary MLA between 1993 and 2007 when he was appointed Alberta’s trade representative in Washington. In 2011, he ran for and lost the Tory leadership. He was then posted to Asia as the province’s trade representative..He was named President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation in April 2020..When asked about being recruited by Kenney, Mar brought up an old quote from American Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman when he was being considered as a Republican candidate for president in 1884..Tecumseh said: ‘I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected,'” Mar said of the attempts to woo him to run..Smith served as Wildrose leader from October 2009 to Dec. 17, 2014 when she resigned to cross the floor and join the governing Tories. In 2015, she lost the nomination battle in the riding of Highwood.. POLL: Many Albertans say they will ignore Christmas COVID lockdown .Smith is currently a talk show host on QR77..In an email to the Western Standard, Smith said: “I have lots of people who have asked me to consider it but I have no knowledge of UCP involvement. I am not considering it – my husband doesn’t want me back in politics.”.The Conservative source told the Western Standard that Smith said that she was approached by senior UCP members like former Kenney campaign manager Allan Hallman, but not by Kenney himself..Premier Jason Kenney’s office has not yet responded to request for comment from the Western Standard..Calgarians go to the polls next October..Mayor Naheed Nenshi hasn’t yet said whether he will run again..This story will be updated if a statement is received from the office of Premier Kenney..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.TWITTER: Twitter.com/nobby7694
Senior members of the UCP – as high as Alberta Premier Jason Kenney – have been trying to recruit high profile candidates to run against Jeromy Farkas – and possibly Naheed Nenshi – in Calgary’s mayoralty race, the sources tell the Western Standard..A high-ranking UCP insider who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that Kenney is leery of the conservative Farkas candidacy and wants someone with closer ties to the Tory establishment..The source said former Tory cabinet minister Gary Mar and former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith have been approached and urged to run, with Mar approached directly by Kenney..When contacted Tuesday by the Western Standard, Mar admitted some UCP members have approached him, but denied that Kenney was personally involved..The Tory source said Mar told him that Kenney personally met with him to discuss a mayoral run, but that Mar was uninterested..“Lots a people have suggested I run but my time in public life is over,” Mar said in an interview..Mar held six different cabinet posts as a Calgary MLA between 1993 and 2007 when he was appointed Alberta’s trade representative in Washington. In 2011, he ran for and lost the Tory leadership. He was then posted to Asia as the province’s trade representative..He was named President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation in April 2020..When asked about being recruited by Kenney, Mar brought up an old quote from American Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman when he was being considered as a Republican candidate for president in 1884..Tecumseh said: ‘I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected,'” Mar said of the attempts to woo him to run..Smith served as Wildrose leader from October 2009 to Dec. 17, 2014 when she resigned to cross the floor and join the governing Tories. In 2015, she lost the nomination battle in the riding of Highwood.. POLL: Many Albertans say they will ignore Christmas COVID lockdown .Smith is currently a talk show host on QR77..In an email to the Western Standard, Smith said: “I have lots of people who have asked me to consider it but I have no knowledge of UCP involvement. I am not considering it – my husband doesn’t want me back in politics.”.The Conservative source told the Western Standard that Smith said that she was approached by senior UCP members like former Kenney campaign manager Allan Hallman, but not by Kenney himself..Premier Jason Kenney’s office has not yet responded to request for comment from the Western Standard..Calgarians go to the polls next October..Mayor Naheed Nenshi hasn’t yet said whether he will run again..This story will be updated if a statement is received from the office of Premier Kenney..Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.TWITTER: Twitter.com/nobby7694
