A former Red Deer city councillor and one-time mayoral candidate has decided to seek the Progressive Conservative nomination for the Red Deer North constituency.
Jeffrey Dawson, 47, announced on Monday that he wants to represent the party in the next election.
Dawson said he decided to run after he learned that Red Deer North MLA Mary Anne Jablonski was not going to seek re-election in the next provincial election.
Dawson said that other commitments, one which took him out of the country until Monday, caused him to hold off on making the announcement.
He joins three other people seeking the PC nomination — restaurant worker Matt Chapin, city Coun. Buck Buchanan and Red Deer County Coun. Christine Moore. The nomination vote is March 21.
“I’ve go the burning desire. When the timing is right, you know it’s right.”
Dawson was a city councillor from 1995 to 2007. In 2007, he decided to run for mayor against incumbent Morris Flewwelling. Chapin also ran for mayor in that race. Dawson garnered 5,704 votes to Flewwelling’s 7,019 votes. Chapin got 559.
Dawson has not run again for city council since he lost his bid for mayor. He said that if he doesn’t win the nomination, it’s “not on my radar” to try another run at city council.
While he lives in the Red Deer South constituency, he has worked and volunteered mostly in Red Deer North and this is where he feels most comfortable running, he said. He has lived in the city for 24 years.
Dawson is a registered casino advisor, and works on behalf of charities involved in casinos. He is also a Municipal Government Board member appointed by the province to adjudicate non-legal issues with municipalities.
He said he won’t be allowed to do board work if he wins the nomination.
barr@www.reddeeradvocate.com