Wildrose leader battles Tory candidate on home turf

Wildrose Leader Danielle Smith has made her party a front-runner in this provincial election, but she's in a tough battle in her home riding of Highwood.

On Tuesday night, Smith and the other local candidates faced off in a packed town hall meeting in Okotoks, Alta.

It was standing room only in an area that seats 600, and many were anticipating a fight — but in the end the debate was mostly polite.

Danielle Smith tried to defuse one hot-button topic — the Wildrose's social conservative image.

"When the party elected me they knew they were electing someone who was pro-choice and pro-gay marriage," she said.

Smith may be broadening her message because she is facing a popular Progressive Conservative candidate in John Barlow.

His years as the editor of the local paper gives him a wide base of support.

Barlow felt he held his own against Smith.

"She has support spread throughout Alberta, where my support is here and that's what matters," he said.

Smith acknowledged she is in a battle on her home turf.

"There are a couple of good candidates here, aren't there," she said at the debate.

The other candidate at the meeting was Liberal Keegan Gibson.

The university student won some laughs, if not many supporters, by admitting he could hardly believe he was running for Alberta's election.