Alberta Election 2015: Wildrose floor-crossers punished in Alberta election

Albertans punished the Wildrose floor-crossers in Tuesday's election.

InChestermere-RockyView,floor-crosserBruceMcAllisterlost to theWildrose'sLeela Aheer. Independent JaimeLall,who made headlines recently after being rejected as a PC candidate,barely registered with under five per cent of the vote.

In Calgary-Shaw, where Jeff Wilson was running under the PC banner, Graham Sucha of the NDP came out on top. Itwas asimilar story in Medicine Hat, where the NDP's Bob Wannerbeat outVal Olson from the Wildrose and Blake Pederson of the PCs.

Innisfail-Sylvan Lake went to the Wildrose, where Kerry Towle was trying to make a comeback as a PC, while inLittle Bow, David Schneider defeated floor-crosserIan Donovan.

The rest of the ridings once represented by Wildrose floor-crossersareall set to return to the party in a sharp rebuke of the orchestrated crossing.

The defections

WhenIan Donovan and Kerry Towlecrossed the floor from the Wildrose to the PCs in November, few could have predicted it was the first trickle of what would become a flood. In December, nine more Wildrose MLAs followed, including leader Danielle Smith.

Since then, all but fivehave either bowed out of politics or lost their PC nomination races.

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Smith lost out to Okotoks town councillor Carrie Fischer, effectively ending a political career that saw her lead the Wildrose from a fringe right-wing party to a real contender.

Under Smith, the party was expected to end the PC dynasty in 2012, but her inability, or unwillingness, tosilencemore extreme elements within the Wildrose fold resulted in a rush to the PC party in the dying days of the election, and another majority for the ruling party.

Smith's defection to the PCs, and the praise she heaped on Jim Prentice, shocked many, including those left behind in her former party.

Rod Fox lost his nomination battle to Peter Dewit in Lacombe-Ponoka andGary Bikman was edged out by Brian Brewin in Cardston-Taber-Warner.