Councillor enters race for Conservative nomination

Bruce Walkinshaw - Penticton Western News Published: March 15, 2011 4:00 PM 
Showers with a high of four degrees and a low of minus one. Many of the Okanagan Coquihalla’s politically ambitious found themselves checking the weather forecasts for Ottawa at this time of year in the wake of MP Stockwell Day’s announcement Saturday that he will not run in the next federal election, leaving behind a tantalizing base of voter support.  Amongst the candidacy’s suitors is Penticton councillor, business-man and former Conservative riding president Dan Albas, who announced Tuesday that he is seeking the nomination.  “Over the past number of days, I have had a number of citizens, supporters and friends urge me to consider putting forward my name and seek the nomination to be your next Conservative candidate,” said Albas in his announcement posted on pentictonpolitics.com. “After much thought and discussion with family and friends, I have decided that I would like to put my name forward.  “While the role and responsibilities might change, my commitment to listen to people and take their concerns forward remains. I believe that people deserve public representatives who are accountable and will return phone calls and communicate regularly with the people they serve.”

Albas may be the first of many to put their names forward — for instance, Penticton Mayor Dan Ashton might have some interest although he has yet to comment on whether he will run. “We have received some interest from some high-profile people already,” said Conservative riding president Doug Sharpe Monday.  “We are very fortunate here in the Okanagan Coquihalla because Stockwell Day and the (riding association) board have done just an amazing job of identifying the support,” he said. “We know there are a tremendous amount of supporters out there and also we are arrayed to fight an election if it were to happen. And so, there are a lot of people who are quite intrigued who think that this is an excellent opportunity if they ever were thinking of public life.” The deadline for filing a Conservative candidate form is March 21.