With the announcement by the Honourable Cliff Cullen of his intention to not seek re-election in the next Manitoba General election, the constituency of Spruce Woods needs to elect a representative for to run in that upcoming provincial election.
To date, three candidates are seeking to lead Spruce Woods, the constituency to the east of the Virden area
CULLEN NOT RUNNING
In a formal notice to Premier Heather Stefanson on Dec. 29, 2022 MLA for Spruce Woods Cliff Cullen said he will not be running for re-election in the next general election.
Cullen said, “It has been the honour of my life to serve the people of Southwestern Manitoba as MLA for Spruce Woods and the former constituency of Turtle Mountain for the last 19 years. During that time, I have worked every day to make this province a better place for Manitobans to live, work and raise a family.
“I have had the incredible opportunity to serve in five ministerial roles…It has also been an extraordinary honour to serve as your Deputy Premier.
“I do not take this decision lightly. However, there comes a time when you arrive at a fork in the road, and you must choose a path forward. I turned 60 this year, Marilyn has retired from teaching and my three sons are starting careers and families of their own.
Cullen continues to stand behind Premier Stefanson and the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba. He says, “While we have accomplished a lot there is still plenty of work left to do. Manitoba has boundless potential. Our incredible agricultural sector, abundance of natural resources and strategic access to global markets make us a potential hub for international investment and trade. Thank you for the opportunity to serve in your government, and thank you for your unwavering commitment to our great province.”
JACKSON SEEKS NOMINATION
Grant Jackson of Souris, has announced his campaign to seek the PC Party Nomination for Spruce Woods.
Jackson acknowledges Cullen’s service saying, “He has been a tremendous role model to me and many others.”
Jackson, born and raised in Souris, received his Bachelor of Arts with Honours at Brandon University. Jackson already has years of experience in public service as he has previously worked on Parliament Hill for Larry Maguire, Member of Parliament for Brandon-Souris, and has been working at the Manitoba Legislature since 2020.
Jackson said, “I am running for the PC Party nomination in Spruce Woods because we need a community-minded MLA with the experience, passion, and energy to get things done. I am not running to defend the status quo.”
In launching his campaign to win the nomination, he laid out his 5 priorities:
- Seek practical solutions to address healthcare shortages
- Make Westman a place for job creators to invest
- Invest in critical infrastructure such as roads and highways
- Grow our agricultural sector and defend our farmers
- Crack down on rural crime and keep our communities safe
Jackson will be travelling the constituency to bring in new people who’ve never been interested in politics before and to reach out to existing members.
“I am offering a fresh approach to politics and the people of Spruce Woods deserve an MLA that is focused on solutions,” concluded Jackson.
DZOGAN SEEKS NOMINATION
Ted Dzogan, owner of a security company based in Brandon is campaigning to represent the PC Party in the Spruce Woods constituency.
When Cliff Cullen announced late last year that he wouldn’t seek another term in office, that’s when Dzogan decided to enter the political arena.
He said in an interview with Discover Westman, “The government is going to have at least 10 MLA’s not returning for the next election and that generational change scares me because of the lost institutional knowledge and experience. So, I decided to meet the declared candidates for Spruce Woods and see if I could get behind one of them. I spoke with both of them and they’re wonderful people, but their priorities didn’t line up with mine.”
He decided he would run to represent Spruce Woods.
Dzogan says that grassroots politics, being a voice for constituents is important to him and important to the political process.
In his interview with Barry Lamb he said, “There’s a lot of big decisions to be made including health care but it shouldn’t be up to a small group of like-minded people to make all those decisions behind closed doors.”
MCRAE WALKER SEEKS NOMINATION
Linda McRae Walker lives in the Municipality of Oakland-Wawanesa within the Spruce Woods constituency, with her husband Ray Walker.
At first surprised by Cliff Cullen’s announcement, she took a deep breath as it were, and decided this was the time to put her lifelong interest in politics, and her concern for the wellbeing of her part of rural Manitoba, into action. Healthcare being the uppermost on her mind.
She feels she has new ideas, new ways to address some of the pressing issues that rural residents experience. She says, “I’ve lived here for 30 years, I know what our neighbours think and want.”
She wants to see graduating medical students pick rural. To help with that, McRae Walker says she would advocate for helping these students financially, to finish their education, with the understanding that they will then work within the constituency.
Raising their family was an important role for McRae Walker and now that their children are grown, she said she is ready to take on a leadership role in the province. “The timing is right for me.” She has decided to seek candidacy to enter the race to represent Spruce Woods constituency in the next provincial election.
McRae Walker has been involved in the cattle industry and she has lived on a farm for more than 30 years. She’s well informed on the importance of agriculture at all levels, including the family farm.
Since 2015 she has been the program co-ordinator for the Manitoba 4-H council. Her leadership role in 4-H has not only kept her in touch with the up-and-coming generation but also with the agriculture industry.
While she’s no career politician, McRae Walker has dealt with many levels of government through her career in 4-H leadership. She says she would look forward to working with Premier Heather Stefanson and the rest of the caucus.
McRae Walker urges party members to vote in the upcoming Spruce Woods candidacy election. “We need members from Spruce Woods constituency to attend the voting day at Wawanesa Hall on Feb 25, from 10 – 3 p.m.”
At Wawanesa, registration opens at 10 a.m. There will be an opportunity to visit with the candidates and at 2 p.m. the candidate speeches begin; voting closes at 3 p.m.
