Jocelyn Johnson is making a return as the New Democrat candidate in the 2025 federal election. Supplied/Jocelyn Johnson

By Eli J. Ridder

CANADA'S CHOICE 2025

New Democrat candidate asks Medicine Hat-area voters to weigh alternative in 2025 election

Mar 25, 2025 | 11:00 AM

Jocelyn Johnson, the second-time New Democrat candidate for Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner, says voters in April’s federal election should consider an alternative to the more popular parties that have only made living more expensive and allowed inequality to grow.

While acknowledging “factors at play” in an election season dominated by a trade war with the U.S., Johnson in a Monday interview said core issues like access to services and the price of groceries still matter most.

“Cost of living has certainly not been made easier by a lot of the decisions of governments that we’ve had, whether Conservative or Liberal,” Johnson said.

“A lot of times they’ve made life harder for families.”

When Johnson ran last time, under her maiden name Stenger, she was able to snatch 14 per cent of the vote as the first runner-up. She’ll once again face the challenge of running a campaign remotely from where she lives in Edmonton, where she works for CUPE.

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Johnson faces an uphill battle in a riding that granted Conservative incumbent Glen Motz a strong 65 per cent of the vote in the 2021 federal election.

Nationally, polls indicate the New Democrats appear on the verge of losing party status amid a sharp rise in support for the Liberals under new leader Mark Carney.

In a recent column, former NDP leader Tom Mulcair even appeared to call for his own party to “get out of the way” for more serious parties prepared to take on U.S. President Donald Trump.

Johnson, however, said she and her party are determined and have strong values she hopes will resonate with voters.

“They’ve always been historically there to stand up for the rights of working people to make life easier, more affordable, to make sure sure that money’s staying in the local community,” Johnson said.

The New Democrats believe “when somebody works hard and puts in a solid day of work, that they can pay their bills, they can put their kids through school, they can get the medical care they need,” she added.

“All of those things have been really consistent over time.”

Should Johnson find her way to an election win, she vowed to move back to Medicine Hat right away.

“Bags would be packed the night of,” she said.

Johnson was born in Oyen and grew up in Medicine Hat before leaving for university and a career in Edmonton, where she lives now with her husband and two children.

“I do spend a lot of time in Medicine Hat and I have a lot of connections there,” she added.

Johnson, who has a photo of the late Alberta NDP leader Grant Notley on her office wall, said New Democrats at various levels of government can find success no matter how many seats it wins.

“Even when elected as a minority, New Democrats can get a lot accomplished for the public because we’re very determined and our values and our hearts are in the right place,” said Johnson.

“If elected I will be doing my 100 per cent to make sure that the community is very well represented.”

Johnson did not immediately confirm if she’ll be making any visits to the riding but didn’t rule out election signs appearing in the riding.

Election day is April 28.