Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre Wildrose MLA Joe Anglin is facing a nomination challenge.
Jason Nixon, 34, former constituency president for the riding, is taking on the party’s first-term MLA.
Anglin has a reputation as a firebrand and a long-outspoken critic of the province’s electricity policies.
Nixon is president of the student union at the online Athabasca University, where he is finishing his certified general accountant designation.
He was formerly executive director of Mountain Aire Lodge in the West Country.
The married father of three lives west of Sundre in the Bearberry area.
He said he received “a lot of personal requests” to provide an alternative to Anglin.
“Wildrose is the party that believes in us having an opportunity to say who the candidates are. So because I saw enough support for that, I agreed to put my name forward to be that alternative,” said Nixon.
Some in the constituency association are looking for change, he added.
“I’m not saying that Joe has no support. I’m just saying that there was definitely an element within the constituency that would like to have a choice.
“It’s really a grassroots thing we’re trying to provide.”
Anglin did not return calls for comment this week.
Nominations were opened in about 20 Wildrose ridings, including five in Central Alberta, this spring.
In Central Alberta, no others came forward to challenge Kerry Towle in Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, Rod Fox in Lacombe-Ponoka, Rick Strankman of Drumheller-Stettler and Bruce Rowe in Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills before nominations closed last week.
The vote to choose a representative in Anglin’s riding is expected to take place early next month. A date has not been set. Wildrose Party members in the riding who were signed up as of last Friday will be eligible to vote.
pcowley@www.reddeeradvocate.com