REGINA – With a provincial election not far away, the two major parties do not have too many candidate spots left to fill between now and the expected election date of October 28.
Both the Saskatchewan Party, and the New Democrats now have the majority of their candidates in place. The Sask Party must still find candidates in two ridings: Moosomin-Montmartre where Sask Party incumbent Steven Bonk backed out so he could run and win the Conservative federal nomination in Souris-Moose Mountain; and Regina Douglas Park. The former is considered a likely safe Sask Party seat; the latter is currently held by the NDP’s Nicole Sarauer who is seeking re-election.
In recent days, the Sask Party filled candidate vacancies in two more ridings. Olugbenga Fakoyejo was nominated in Saskatoon Riversdale where Marv Friesen is not seeking re-election, and Kevin Kasun was nominated in Prince Albert Carlton to replace incumbent Joe Hargrave.
The New Democrats still have 10 ridings left in which to find candidates, and those are Cannington, Carrot River Valley, Cut Knife-Turtleford, Estevan-Big Muddy, Kindersley-Biggar, Melfort, Moosomin-Montmartre, Rosthern-Shellbrook, Swift Current, and Weyburn-Bengough. All these are considered Sask Party strongholds.
A number of nomination meetings are scheduled for the coming days. The NDP plans to choose its candidates for Swift Current on Tuesday, Moosomin-Montmartre on Wednesday, and Rosthern-Shellbrook on Sept. 4.
The other parties still have a major catch-up job ahead of them to fill their slates by election day. Of those, the Green Party is in the best shape with 26 candidates listed on their website as running, including leader Naomi Hunter in Saskatoon Riversdale.
Despite a major advertising push recently on billboards and on social media, the Sask United Party has just 12 candidates nominated so far in the province, including leader Jon Hromek in Lumsden-Morse and incumbent Nadine Wilson in Saskatchewan Rivers.
The Progressive Conservatives have eight candidates in place so far including six in Regina ridings, and the Buffalo Party has six candidates nominated.