Justin Wright is seen in a video message posted to supporters. (Screengrab From Facebook/Justin Wright)

By Chris Brown

UCP voters pick Justin Wright for Cypress-Medicine Hat

Mar 17, 2023 | 2:48 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Justin Wright has been chosen to represent the United Conservative Party in Cypress-Medicine Hat in the spring election.

Wright says being nominated by the party is humbling and amazing.

“There was so many people in the community that as we were working down the membership list that were just, just on fire for the vision that I was able to project here,” he says. “Really focusing on building the region and building a healthy region that we can hand off to future generations. Being fiscally responsible, job creation and protecting parental, individual, and property rights and that really got aligned, that really got the community aligned behind a lot of what was being talked about.”

The owner of Fryer Tucks’ food truck, catering and concession service, Wright won the nomination contest on Thursday. He defeated James Finkbeiner, a former executive at the Western Standard.

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Wright says he’ll soon be reaching out to party leaders and community leaders to build out the message he gave to UCP voters.

Making sure that we’re representing Cypress-Medicine Hat, not just those folks that necessarily currently are our members or anything like that. It’s really about the whole of Cypress-Medicine Hat.”

In February, Wright told CHAT News the constituency needs to change the way it is represented and the way the region is presented. He said it must move away from the mindset of the forgotten corner and rebuild relationships to put constituents first.

MLA Drew Barnes has represented the riding since 2012 first elected as a member of the Wildrose Party and re-elected in 2015. In 2019 he won the seat under the UCP banner and was kicked out of caucus in May 2021 by then-premier Jason Kenney. He currently sits as an Independent and has not made his intentions for the coming election known.

Alberta NDP voters in Cypress-Medicine Hat chose Cathy Hogg as their nominee last month.

The provincial election is set for May 29.