UCP Leader Danielle Smith wins Brooks-Medicine Hat riding

United Conservative Party (UCP) Leader Danielle Smith will keep her seat in the Brooks-Medicine Hat riding.

Smith competed against the New Democrats’ Gwendoline Dirk, a former teacher in Medicine Hat, Barry Morishita, Brooks’ former mayor and the Alberta Party leader.

She won against those two and Bob Blayone of the Independence Party and Jeevan Mangat of the Wildrose Independence Party with 53 per cent of the vote in the by-election.

Before her public debate with NDP Leader Rachel Notley, Smith debated Dirk and Morishita in her home riding.

At the time, Smith said she wanted to run in a rural riding because she said those communities didn’t have their voices heard during the pandemic, adding rural issues need better representation at the highest level of government.

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Smith lives in High River, just outside of Calgary. Pundits have previously wondered whether she would seek the vacant seat of Calgary-Elbow.

During the election campaign, the Alberta ethics commissioner found that Smith violated the Conflict of Interest Act in her interaction with Alberta’s justice minister in relation to the charges against Artur Pawlowski.

Margaret Trussler’s report, however, found no evidence Smith or members of her staff contacted Crown prosecutors, as alleged by the CBC.