It’s an expansive federal riding that has in the past voted in all 3 major political parties and a University of Saskatchewan Political Science professor expects it will be down to the wire for who wins next week in the Desnethe-Missinippi-Churchill River riding.

It’s known as a swing riding, because there is no trend for which party will be voted in.

Joe Garcea says the candidates for the major parties in this northern riding are all experienced leaders.

The NDP incumbent is Georgina Jolibois. Meadow Lake’s Mayor Gary Vidal is running for the Conservatives, and Tammy Cook-Searson for the Liberal Party. She has 22 years with the Lac La Ronge Indian Band, including as its Chief.

He believes a candidate’s character is one of the major factors for the voting trends in the northern riding, along with ethno-cultural considerations and where in the riding the candidate lives.

Garcea says Jolibois has good support in the La Loche area, Tammy Cook-Searson further east in Lac La Ronge, and Vidal in the southwest around Meadow Lake.

The candidate for the Green Party is Sarah Kraynick of Christopher Lake.

The 2006 and 2015 elections were won by less than 100 votes.

The other Saskatchewan swing riding is Regina-Lewvan.

In the last 2 elections, the votes have been close between the NDP and the Conservative Party.

Erin Weir won in 2015 for the NDP by just over 100 votes, but Garcea points out that Weir was expelled from the NDP caucus and told he couldn’t run again because of harassment allegations.

Some local NDP members believe Leader Jagmeet Singh should have allowed Weir to appeal.

Garcea wonders if that might sway some NDP votes in that riding.

(CJWW)