As the next provincial election continues to draw near, a City councillor has announced his intentions to run in the upcoming nomination race, vying to become the PC candidate for the Lacombe-Ponoka constituency.
Wayne Rempel officially announced his intention to run in the nomination race on Feb. 3rd.
He’s not alone in seeking the PC nomination as local businessman Peter DeWit and former mayor of Ponoka Larry Henkelman, along with current sitting MLA Rod Fox, have all thrown their hats into the ring, eyeing the nomination.
Rempel has lived in Lacombe since 1999 and has owned two businesses within the City over the last 14 years. He has sat as a councillor since 2007.
Rempel said he felt it was the right time to make the move from municipal to provincial politics. “I’ve been thinking of a move for a year now,” he said.
Rempel said he’s been a PC member on and off for a number of years and has been involved with working closely with the PC government during his time serving as a City councillor.
He said the motivating factor behind seeking the nomination comes from the encouragement and support of the community.
“My decision was made easy by the support of my family, friends and the other people I have been talking to within the constituency,” said Rempel.
“They have said to me, you are the perfect person for the position, due to your involvement in the community.
“I’m very vocal as for what’s happening in Lacombe. What I say, I stand behind it. In the constituency we need a representative that is willing to listen and also willing to explain the reasons behind the decisions made — not just someone who says what people want to hear, but someone who gets things done.”
Rempel said even though he is sitting as a City councillor, he can still seek the PC nomination. “It’s really up to me,” he said. “I can do my job properly for City council while doing this.”
He added depending on how the race progresses, it will determine his next move and if he will have to step down from serving the municipality.
An open nomination race will be held and local PC members will endorse which of the candidates they believe should represent the party during the next election. The Lacombe-Ponoka PC constituency nomination meeting is tentatively set for March 7th. The party intends to have candidates for all 87 constituencies by March 15th ahead of the election.