Edmonton riding to rerun 2004's closest vote

The March 3 Alberta election features a rematch of the tightest race from 2004.

Liberal Chris Kibermanis lost the 2004 election in Edmonton-Castle Downs by three votes to Progressive Conservative Thomas Lukaszuk after a series of recounts and court challenges that dragged on for more than two months following the Nov. 22 vote.

Lukaszuk was declared the winner by the Alberta Court of Appeal on Feb. 2.

"We win three recounts and then lose the fourth.… It was a bit of a shot in the stomach," said Kibermanis. But the loss also convinced him to spend the next four years getting ready for this election.

"We decided that we were definitely going to get another shot, work hard between the elections and give ourselves a good chance," he said.

The northwest Edmonton riding is one of the fastest growing in the province, with more than 1,000 new homes since the last election, and a large population of newcomers from Asia, Europe and Africa.

Lukaszuk has represented the riding since 2001.

He has been accused by NDP candidate Ali Haymour of trying to buy ethnic votes by promising funding for community projects.

Lukaszuk says he's just doing his job.

"I am their voice in the legislature. When the Muslim community comes to me and says, Thomas, we need a playground … if I find that reasonable I'll work on it. Am I promising things to ethnic communities? Definitely, Shamelessly. They are constituents," he said.

But the idea of a candidate being able to attract blocks of voters from ethnic communities doesn't ring true, said Joe Hak, a prominent Edmonton businessmen and a member of city's Lebanese community.

"That was history, the days before now," said Hak.

"In the old days when people had just arrived in Canada … they felt loyalty to those leaders who helped them get established. [Now] you need to appeal to each voter individually."

There are other factors that are likely to affect the race in Edmonton-Castle Downs this time. Political observers say the departure of former premier Ralph Klein, with his falling popularity, could buoy the fortunes of many Tory candidates.

And in 2004, the Alberta Alliance Party and the Social Credit received a total of 664 votes. But with only the Tories, Liberals, NPD and Green Party, represented by Bob Rechow, in the race this time, observers say Lukaszuk will face no competition for the "fiscal conservative" vote.