Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart Is Running for Re-Election in Ward 13

  Over the past few months, there has been a lot of speculation that Diane Colley-Urquhart would take a run at the Mayor's chair after 10 years as the Alderman for Ward 13.  The following press release confirms that Diane will not be running for Mayor after all and has opted to run for re-election in her current ward.

 Diane has had a ton of success in this Ward and many people feel she will be tough to beat this October.  This is likely why there have been no credible challengers announce that they will be running against her.  I imagine a few "tire kickers" in Ward 13 just realized that 2010 is not their year!

Shane

Who Is Running for Alderman in Calgary Ward 13? ( aka.. The Ward No One Seems To Care About?)

  Many of us are getting excited about the upcoming 2010 Calgary Municipal Election!  As a blogger I am finding that this election is going to be exciting due to the many different and interesting races that are shaping up across the city.  Taking a quick look at http://www.calgarydemocracy.ca/ you can see that there are some very interesting candidates that have come forward to contest many of the Aldermanic seats this year.  After reviewing a ton of the information, I notice that there is one ward that no one is really talking about....Ward 13!

 Ward 13 is has been represented by Diane Colley-Urquhart since they year 2000.  There is speculation that she is considering a run at the Mayor's chair this year and while I am not sure if it is authorized or not, there is even a new twitter group called 'Friends of Diane" pushing her to run for mayor.  The Twitter account states a tag line of " Diane Colley-Urquhart has served Calgary as a great Alderman. Lets get her to be the next Mayor of Calgary!" and with 9 followers, I am not sure if this is the push they are looking for.  ( However, with the recent surge in "fake" twitter accounts, I am not sure if this is even from Diane's group?)  So if Diane is considering a run at the top job, who will replace her in Ward 13?

 It would appear that nobody is even talking about this ward and I am at a loss as to why?  Usually, you will see the "sharks" circling at this type of opportunity to win a ward that may be potentially vacated by a powerful incumbent, but not this term?  I have not even heard any rumours about any candidates that were planning to run against Diane in the first place?  Perhaps most people feel that Diane has done such and excellent job that they cannot win against her?  Maybe they feel that they cannot raise the necessary funds or volunteers to compete with her longtime supporters and strong financial backing?  If you look at the history of Ward 13 elections, her popularity  ( 2 acclamation's and a sound thumping of her two opponents in 2007!) is pretty obvious. 

 Either way, I am curious to see who will come out of the woodwork if and when she declares her Mayoral candidacy.  I think that any potential replacement candidates had better get to work on their community door knocking!  If she does step aside, perhaps this will be the ward to watch.  If not, I seriously doubt that she will get any serious challengers again. 

Interesting......

Your thoughts? 

Message Sent!

  ( It's not bad with butter and salt....)

  Well folks, the people of Calgary Glenmore have spoken...and the people are never wrong.  However, this blogger was way off the mark on his prediction, although I was a bit biased!  I had the opportunity to work with Diane CU and her team on her campaign and I must congratulate her for a job well done.  Diane's campaign was well organized, well funded and her team was amazing.  That said, it goes to show you that a full bank account, dozens of organized volunteers and exceptional name recognition do not guarantee success on election night. 

  I must say, I am impressed that Paul Hinman won this race.   Congratulations on your victory ( and now that he is an MLA, I will no longer use the "corny" references!)  and your team should be proud.  The slogan "Send Ed a Message" hit a nerve with many voters and it was better than having 500 volunteers on the ground. It was just that powerful. 

  What now? 

 This victory has the potential to change Alberta's political landscape.  The common thoughts from the MSM that if " Diane can lose...any PC MLA candidate can lose in Calgary" may now have some real meaning?  Perhaps some of the local MLA's, especially those with lower profiles, maybe be pondering this today?  Its one thing to lose a by-election on a protest vote, but to finish in third place is quite another. 

 Will this result in a leadership review at the PC Convention later this fall?  Will this be a wake up call to the PC party, confirming that no riding can be taken for granted?  Time will tell. 

 The WAP will ride this publicity into their Leadership Race, which will do nothing but legitimize them further.  A loss here would have wiped them out.  The only thing left that will kill their momentum would be a Mark Dyrholm or Jeff Willerton victory. It will be interesting to watch.

What a ride....

Shane

McCarthyism & Why the Wildrose Alliance will never succeed...!

McCarthyism: McCarthyism is the politically motivated practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term is also now used more generally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries.

While the above term is a little dated it seems fitting given some of the blog posts recently by various WAP supporters. Realizing the enormous importance of the Calgary Glenmore By-Election, some WAP supporters have taken an odd strategy to discredit the PC Candidate. In a state of fear ( or panic) they have decided to attack Diance CU's political belief's by trying to make her come off as a CARD CARRYING LIBERAL. ( Also, the "bimbo" references are so tacky".) Weak...Weak...Weak strategy...

While it is fine to dig through and try to find some "dirt" on her, they are truly missing the big picture here:

Wildrose Alliance Members... the people that actually ELECT candidates ( ie. The Average Voter) REALLY DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR MCCARTHYISM ATTACKS. This may work in a few riding's, but trust me....your efforts are being wasted. The average person does not sit around the water cooler and say "so...who do you think is a Liberal in the PC Caucus". It really is shameful and embarrassing to your party. But please...keep it up, it really is a good time waster.

In my opinion, this is why this party, under its current leadership, will never prosper in Alberta. And the WAP honestly thinks that the PC party is "out of touch"...?


Even I have gotten some heat from other WAP supporters for my loyalty to the PC Party...check out Brian Dell's Comment about me here: While it is one thing for a federal Tory supporter to fail to support the Wildrose Alliance, it is another to be enthusiastically volunteering to campaign against us.

Excuse Me? Just because I am a member of the Conservative Party of Canada I automatically must support the fringe WAP? When did this happen?

People that know me will confirm that I am as loyal as they come. I am a proud PC member and Conservative Party of Canada member. I am also proud to sit on my local boards and volunteer for every charity or fundraising event possible. But...I guess I must really be "liberal" because I do not support the WAP. Give me a break....

I find it so odd that these WAP supporters are so passionate about discrediting other people's CONSERVATISM, yet they do not realize the split in their own "party". Perhaps their efforts would be better spent volunteering for thier own cause. Maybe this way, they would have some success at the ballot box.

I cannot wait to start knocking on some doors for Diane...I grew up in Glenmore and know it well.

Shane

Calgary Glenmore By-Election date set! Great turnout at Diane Colley-Urquhart's HQ

Finally! The September 14 by-election date for the Calgary Glenmore was announced today! I had the opportunity to attend the press conference at Diane CU's Headquarters this afternoon and it was a spirited affair. Even with less than two hours notice, there were approximately 30-40 supporters and at least a half dozen MLA's in attendance.

Diane gave a great speech and confirmed her commitment to the people of Calgary Glenmore. Jonathan Denis also had some supportive comments and ensured that the supporters realized that every vote will count in this election! I never once got the sense that the party is taking this riding for granted.

Diane's team is very organized, well run and really has the feeling of inclusiveness. There were people from all demographics groups there and they are all passionate supporters.


Well...the hum-drum summer of blogging may be over! Now we have something to talk about!

Shane

I am supporting Diane Colley-Urquhart in Calgary Glenmore

The race for Calgary Glenmore is on! I was intrigued last week when I heard the news that Calgary Alderman Diane Colley-Urquhart confirmed that she would be seeking the PC nomination for Calgary-Glenmore. As the Alberta blogs started discussing potential candidates, I posted on several sites that Diane would be a logical choice to run in this riding, given her 20+ year association in the area.

I had lived in this area since I was a toddler, bought my 1st home in Cedarbrae and lived in the area for nearly 30 years. Even though I moved to Calgary Hays in late 2007, this riding is my "home" and I feel the need to help contribute to the Alberta PC party's continued success in Calgary Glenmore.

In an attempt to further my wife's position that she is quickly becoming a "committee widow" with my ever expanding volunteer commitments, I sent a quick email to Alderman Diane to express my congratulations on her decision and to offer any volunteer services to her campaign.

Now, never having met her, I was shocked that I received an email response within 20 minutes thanking me for my interest and offering to engage me as a volunteer. This personal touch of hers is legendary, but I got to see it 1st hand. This just reaffirms my belief that she will make and excellent MLA for Calgary Glenmore.

As an aside, there were more people at her nomination campaign meeting than the Wildrose Alliance were able to draw to one of their highly touted "Town Hall Meetings" in Calgary. This just reinforces the support that Diane has in this community.

So, those of you that live in Paliser, Pumphill, Bayview, Cedarbrae, Braeside, Oakridge, Haysboro and Southwood and want a PC membership, send me an email.

Shane

Who will be Calgary's Mayor in 2010?

With 18 months to go until the next Calgary municipal election, I am pondering who will be making a run at Dave Bronconnier's mayoral seat? Here are my quick thoughts on some potential challengers...

1) Ric McIver... Common sense alderman. Popular. Organized. Loves the media (and they love him....his soundbites are a breath of fresh air.) A recent fundraiser he held is said to have had over 350 guests. Ric is my 1st choice for mayor, without a doubt.

Odds to Run? 2-1

2) Dianne Colley-Urquhart... Dianne would be an excellent choice should Ric Mciver not make a run at mayor. She is the other "common-sense" alderman and represents her ward well. Timing may be a big factor here, as she will not likely have much success with a split vote against both McIver and Bronconnier.

I cannot see how much further Dianne can go in City politics after 2010. She has probably better suited at a run for MLA, which she would win in a landslide.

Perhaps with the (rumored) pending "retirement" of Ron ( Federal Judge post awaits?) Stevens, she may look at the PC nomination for Calgary Glenmore. Just my thoughts?


Odds? 10-1

3) Al Koenig... Former Police association president. Could not win an alderman seat in 2007. Has a grand total of 4 signatures on an online poll supporting him to run for mayor in 2010. (Not scientific mind you, but pretty funny.)

Odds? Not good.

4) Alnoor Kassam... HMMM... Spent a fortune of his OWN money (close to $1MM) to run against Bronco in 2007. Lesson learned? I hope so.... But seeing that his website is still up and running, you never know!

Odds? 1 Million to 1.. ( no pun intended! )

Here is hoping some fellow bloggers run....

5) The Enlightened Savage... Maybe then we will see the 'mask" come off and find out his/her true identity? The E.S has some sound ideas and is not scared to rock the boat!

6) Jeremy Zhao ... 19 year old U of C Student runs...gets a respectable 8,000 votes. Awesome!

Anyways... it will be interesting to see who starts making noise over the next few months. As long as we get rid of Calgaryrants good friend, Bronco Dave, I will be a happy man!