Saskatchewan’s NDP membership has chosen a familiar face to lead the party into the next provincial election.
Dwain Lingenfelter, who was first elected in 1978 but left politics in 2000 for Alberta’s energy industry, took 55 percent of the second ballot vote during the June 6 leadership contest to replace Lorne Calvert.
Political newcomer and Saskatoon physician Ryan Meili came second after pulling most of the support from the other two candidates. Moose Jaw-Wakamow MLA Deb Higgins dropped off after finishing fourth in the first ballot, and Regina lawyer Yens Pedersen subsequently dropped out.
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Lingenfelter, who still has farms at Shaunavon, Frontier and Regina, held cabinet positions, including agriculture, in the former Allan Blakeney and Roy Romanow governments.
He takes over a party with no rural representation in the legislature.
He told reporters the party will rebuild “one farm, one village, one town at a time. It’s reconnecting in that way that I think we’ll be successful.”
Long-time Regina MLA Harry Van Mulligen stepped down June 8 to provide a seat for Lingenfelter to contest. Meili said he would seek a seat but wasn’t sure if he would try to replace Calvert in Saskatoon Riversdale.
