Blaine McLeod, an experienced dairy farmer from Caronport, with 42 years of farming under his belt, is running in the upcoming Lumsden-Morse byelection, representing The Saskatchewan Party.
McLeod's strong ties to the community and desire to serve the people have motivated him to enter the political arena.
McLeod's involvement in the constituency association for the Saskatchewan Party, alongside his father, who was part of the team that elected Lyle Stewart over two decades ago, helped fuel his interest in politics.
Additionally, his leadership roles in the dairy industry at both the provincial and national levels have given him valuable experience in governance principles.
“My wife and I have always had the desire to serve the people where we live and we've done that in a number of different ways,” McLeod elaborated. “School boards, church board, community involvement, treasurers that my wife has done for a number of organizations, and those that we come in contact with to say, ‘hey, how can we make life better for everybody around us?’ That's the driving force for me in politics.”
He also acknowledged the challenges faced by farmers in the region, particularly due to droughts and grasshopper infestations in consecutive years, which have impacted farm families significantly.
As an agriculturally focused candidate, McLeod is determined to address the issues and work towards supporting farmers during these tough times.
However, McLeod is not solely focused on agriculture, understanding the importance of education and healthcare. He aims to collaborate with others in different political parties to find common ground and work towards solutions that benefit the entire province.
“We'll always disagree with the social side of the socialism side of what the New Democratic Party brings forward,” he stated. “I think personal responsibility and entrepreneurship drives the economy and Saskatchewan, but I know they're passionate about what the needs are in our province, and I want to work with people to make sure we meet those needs. So that's my approach, collaboration and consensus, absolutely important.”
Voters will head to the polls on August 10 to elect their new representative.