An imminent provincial election has encouraged more candidates to make their nominations official in Central Alberta.
While the date for the election has not yet been set, the legislative assembly cannot sit for more than five years, forcing Premier Alison Redford to call an election before March 14, 2013.
However, pre-election readiness of provincial parties would indicate that the election call could come in the next three to six weeks.
The Progressive Conservatives, Wildrose Alliance Party and the New Democratic Party have nominated a full-slate in the seven Central Alberta ridings: Red Deer North, Red Deer South, Lacombe-Ponoka, Drumheller-Stettler, Innisfail-Sylvan Lake, Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills and Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre.
The Liberals have nominated only three candidates in the seven ridings.
Two candidates have been selected for the Alberta Party. A third candidate will be announced after a nomination race on March 4.
Other parties such as the Evergreen Party of Alberta, the Separation Party of Alberta, the Alberta Social Credit Party and the Communist Party of Alberta are not represented in the seven ridings.
In all, 87 seats in the Alberta legislature will be up for grabs when an election is called.
The following is the list of candidates for the Central Alberta ridings:
Drumheller-Stettler
Liberals: No candidate
Alberta Party: No candidate
NDP: Aditya Rao
PC: Jack Hayden (incumbent)
Wildrose: Rick Strankman
Innisfail-Sylvan Lake
Liberals: Les Vidok
Alberta Party: Danielle Klooster
NDP: Patricia Norman
PC: Luke Ouellette (incumbent)
Wildrose: Kerry Towle
Lacombe-Ponoka
Liberals: No candidate
Alberta Party: Brent Chalmers and Tony Jeglum have declared, nomination date March 4.
NDP: Doug Hart
PC: Ray Prins (incumbent)
Wildrose: Rod Fox
Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills
Liberals: No candidate
Alberta Party: No candidate
NDP: Kristie Krezanoski
PC: Darcy Davis
Wildrose: Bruce Rowe
Red Deer North
Liberals: Michael Dawe
Alberta Party: No candidate
NDP: Derek Seelinger
PC: Mary Anne Jablonski (incumbent)
Wildrose: Randy Weins
Red Deer South
Liberals: Jason Chilibeck
Alberta Party: Serge Gingras
NDP: Lorna Watkinson-Zimmer
PC: Cal Dallas (incumbent)
Wildrose: Nathan Stephan
Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre
Liberals: No candidate
Alberta Party: No candidate
NDP: Doreen Broska
PC: Ty Lund (incumbent)
Wildrose: Joe Anglin
jjones@www.reddeeradvocate.com