Liberals look to take back Conservative Kildonan-St. Paul riding

WINNIPEG -

The Federal Election is fast approaching, and in the Kildonan–St. Paul riding, candidates are doing one last round of door-knocking before voters go to the polls.

Raquel Dancho is the incumbent candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada. She said voters are frustrated they have to worry about an election during a pandemic.

"I think (voters) are looking at the Conservatives as a really strong alternative, a positive force to move forward," said Dancho.

Since the riding's creation in 2003, Kildonan–St. Paul has been a Conservative seat, except for one term of Liberal control.

Dancho won the seat back from the Liberal MaryAnn Mihyhcuk in 2019 with 44.8 per cent of the vote to Mihychuk's 27.9 per cent.

Dancho said if re-elected, the Conservative platform will bring Canadians together.

"Get those jobs back, get the economy rolling again, get positivity and innovation and investment back in our communities. That's our plan and Canadians have been responding, as we've seen very well."

Liberal Candidate Mary-Jane Bennett is looking to take the seat back.

She said voters tell her they appreciate how the Liberal government handled the pandemic.

"There's an excitement about how we're going to forge ahead with this post-pandemic world," Bennett said.

This is Bennett's first time running in a Federal Election. If she wins, she said she'll put Kildonan–St. Paul on the map.

"Make sure that infrastructure comes their way, that they become a strong participant in the Federal Liberal Government," she said.

NDP Candidate Emily Clark is looking to change the riding Orange for the first time.

She lives and works in Kildonan-St. Paul along with her husband, and her kids go to school in the area.

Voters tell her they don't feel like the current MP is available to them.

"If you call my office, you'll get a callback within 48 hours. If you want to meet with me, I will make myself available to meet. I will make my schedule public as well, so people aren't wondering what is my MP doing?"

Sean Howe from the People's Party of Canada is also looking to win the Kildonan–St. Paul seat.

The first time candidate said his party would work on re-establishing Canadian rights.

"The main issue and our main platform is freedoms, and it's all based around the vaccine passport, the public health order mandates, whether they're justified," he said.

Canadians have until September 20 to cast their votes.