The Sask Party continued their rein in the Swift Current constituency Monday night during the provincial election with a convincing win.
Incumbent Everett Hindley unofficially received 66.8 per cent (4,637) of the riding votes to win his third term at the Saskatchewan Legislature. The Sask Party's victory in Swift Current is their seventh straight win as they've held the seat since 1999 when future Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall was first elected.
"I'm just so thankful and grateful to the people of this community for continued support in me and a vote of confidence in the work that's being done here in this community," Hindley said. "I look forward to serving again in my first job, which is the MLA as Swift Current and then whatever other roles I may be asked to do."
The hour-and-a-half wait from 8 p.m. until about 9:30 p.m. when results finally started to filter in from polls in Swift Current created a few anxious times at Hindley's campaign headquarters in the Swift Current Mall. The first set of polls showed him with a commanding lead, and he never looked back.
"If you're not a little bit nervous and you don't have some of that anxiety as a candidate then maybe you shouldn't be involved in politics," he said. "Because you do put a lot on the line, personally and professionally in terms of what you're campaigning for as a candidate and for your party."
Campaigning this time around for Hindley was different than his past two elections. In 2020, it was the COVID-19 pandemic so there was no door-to-door, and in 2018 it was a byelection. Making it to different parts of Swift Current, he said four issues stood out to voters; healthcare, education, cost of living, and a strong economy.
He pointed to the federal carbon tax for making the cost of living tough on Saskatchewan families, while noting his party has made it a priority to have a strong economy. The other two areas received record funding in their 2024-25 budget.
"We have some work to do there," he said. "We've made some significant strides I would argue but yes we have some work to do in those two particular areas."
Provincially and locally, the Sask Party saw its success shrink. The party lost seven seats and Hindley's past wins in the mid to high 70 per cent wins fell to 66.8 per cent as NDP Jay Kimball picked up 28.7 per cent.
"I think it shows that as you serve in government and you serve more terms, there becomes more difficult choices and I think any government has seen that," he said. "It becomes difficult, the longer you serve, the more difficult it becomes to form a government and a majority.
"Grateful as a government and as a party once again to be asked to form a government for this amazing province, a fifth term, something that hasn't happened since I believe the 1960s."
