Independent Jeff Willerton has thrown his hat in the ring for the Airdrie riding in the upcoming Provincial election, April 23.
Willerton ran for alderman in the 2010 municipal election and ran for leader of the Wildrose Alliance in 2009. He is the author of three books: From the Poorhouse to the Penthouse (2008), From the Big Bang to Obama and other things I don’t believe in (2011) and the 10th edition of FIX CANADA or Lose It, (2000-2012).
“I can’t vote Tory, because they’re so thoroughly liberal, and I can’t vote Liberal or NDP because, well, because they’re so thoroughly liberal,” Willerton said.
“And I’m generally a party man – which is to say I vote for the party, not the man – but in the case of the Wildrose, in Airdrie, I cannot bring myself to vote for the man.”
Willerton will be running against incumbent MLA Rob Anderson, representing the Wildrose, Deputy Mayor Kelly Hegg of the Progressive Conservatives and Bryan Young of the NDP.
Willerton previously ran for the Social Credit Party in 1997 and 2001, finishing third and second with 800 and 1,200 votes respectively. He finished third for the Alberta Party in 2004, last running as an independent in Calgary in 2007 and second representing the Wildrose Alliance in 2008.
“Rob Anderson has proven himself again and again to be a self-promoting, unprincipled political opportunist, and I just can’t vote for that. I believe he ran for the Tories because they were in power,” he said.
“Both Rob and Kelly are obviously very well financed with lots of party apparatus behind them. I am not. One might say I’m a David up against not one, but two Goliaths. Sometimes David wins.”
An Airdrie candidate forum will be held April 16 at Bert Church Theatre, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. The event is open to the public.
