Michelle Rempel Garner says she will not run in the race to lead the Alberta United Conservative Party, ending weeks of speculation that the Calgary Conservative MP would go to replace outgoing leader Prime Minister Jason Kenney.
In a blog post Thursday morning, Rempel Garner said that while she was grateful for the many offers of encouragement to run for leadership, she decided not to do so for two main reasons: that she wants to continue serving the his Calgary voters as a federal deputy. and the “current internal dynamics of the UCP caucus.”
“I think the Albertans would be better served if I stayed in the important role they have already given me right now, and if I respected the UCP caucus by giving it the space it needs to find out its things,” he said. to say. publication.
I just made a big decision.https://t.co/6hcbZWoT7Q
– @MichelleRempel
As recently as Wednesday, signals were still being sent that Rempel Garner was preparing a bid announcement.
The campaign director of Patrick Brown’s bid to lead the federal Conservative Party, Sean Schnell, left that job to play a role in Rempel Garner’s possible UCP campaign.
Schnell had worked for Rempel Garner’s office before he began any leadership race.
On June 15, Calgary MP Nose Hill posted a long thread on Twitter indicating that she was seriously considering running to replace Kenney.
“This is not a decision that anyone should take lightly,” he tweeted at the time.
But on Thursday, he announced, despite the fact that “all the stars” were aligned and that nothing really stopped him, that he had serious concerns about leading the UCP caucus.
Rempel Garner says he has felt that “there is a significant level of injury and uncertainty” in this team.
The MP says there are divisions within this caucus and wondered how she would be able to lead him as an outsider.
Rempel Garner says not presenting myself “has been the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.”