A Vegreville councillor has thrown their hat into the ring.
The Alberta NDP announced that Taneen Rudyk will be their candidate for Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville in the upcoming provincial election next month.
"I am really excited to make this announcement and to take my advocacy to a different group in Edmonton this time to make sure we have the continuation of caring and competent leadership that constituents in the Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville area are looking for," said Rudyk.
Born in Two Hills and raised on a farm near Hairy Hill, Rudyk has spent most of her life in the constituency.
As for Rudyk's career, she has been a councillor in Vegreville for over 10 years and just recently stepped down as president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities to pursue the nomination.
"This is my fourth term as a town councillor in Vegreville, so I am very familiar with this area and advocating to other orders of government and getting to solutions that are going to meet people's needs where they live," said Rudyk.
"[I think I can be] a really powerful advocate for those that live outside larger centers and making sure those that live in Fort Saskatchewan, in the limelight of a larger centre, still get their voice heard."
This upcoming election is expected to be full of talking points as Albertans face high inflation and affordability issues. Rudyk says that these issues are at the forefront of her mind.
"The things that are keeping [people] up at night and making them concerned is about the affordability for their families, businesses, and their future," said Rudyk. "As well as making sure they have continued access to the healthcare that they expect when they need it."
"That uncertainty they are feeling right now, I want to be able to listen to it and provide some stability and answers that will make them feel reassured and supported as we move forward."
Rudyk says that she plans on beginning her first door-knocking campaign in Fort Saskatchewan this Saturday (April. 8).
She replaces Jessica Littlewood, who served as the MLA for the region from 2015 to 2019, as the NDP candidate for the constituency.
The election in this region is expected to largely be a two-horse race between Rudyk for the NDP and incumbent Jackie Armstrong-Homeniuk for the United Conservative Party (UCP).