NDP announce candidates for Grande Prairie riding

Two people are seeking the New Democrat Party nomination for the Grande Prairie riding in the next provincial election.
 
Todd Russell is running against Melissa Byers.
 
Russell ran for the NDP in GP Smoky in the 2015 vote and decided to try again after talking with his family.
 
“We made the decision because we align a lot with the values that Rachel and the NDP were pushing at the time and those values, those priorities, those principles haven’t changed. After a lot of discussion and everything about the impacts on our family, we decided to run again because we really want to support those values and those principles.”
 
EverythingGP asked Russel how he would handle criticism about struggles in the energy sector and the need for pipelines should he win the nomination.
 
“The way to handle it, I could be quoting Rachel going back to the start. I remember what the platform was, I remember what we said when we knocked on doors at the time and that hasn’t really changed. (We are a) strong supporter of pipelines, strong on Trans Mountain, been pushing that from the start. We’re going to continue doing that.”
 
Russell lost in 2015 by less than two percent and is expecting another close vote this time.
 
“We have a strong record in the region to run on, with a lot of infrastructure built. The economy has been supported well with a couple of really key initiatives and we’ve supported the growth in schools and health care as well. Those are key for the region, not to mention the big change for the college (degree-granting status for GPRC).  (That will) really impact our future.”
 
Russell says he and Byers have agreed that whoever does not get the nomination will still help the winner campaign.
 
A date for a nomination meeting has not been set, but it is expected by the end of the month.