Ken Francis (left) shares a moment with Keith Jamieson, a member of Francis’s campaign team, at the Norman Ritchie Community Centre on March 1 after winning the byelection to become the next Kindersley MLA for the Saskatchewan Party.
Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion
Ken Francis of the Saskatchewan Party has been elected as the next Kindersley MLA and his byelection victory set a Sask. Party election record.
According to results from Elections Saskatchewan, there was a total of 3,790 votes cast from a possible 11,690 eligible voters in the Kindersley constituency. Voter turnout was only 32.42 per cent, but a huge percentage of the voters backed the Sask. Party’s candidate.
Francis won the byelection with 3,339 votes or 88.1 per cent of the vote. New Democratic Party of Saskatchewan candidate Travis Hebert received 375 votes for 9.9 per cent of the vote, and Saskatchewan Green Party candidate Yvonne Potter-pihach received 74 votes for two per cent of the vote. Two ballots were rejected.
The Saskatchewan Party swept the three byelections on March 1. The other byelections took place in Melfort and Swift Current. Everett Hindley won in Swift Current with 73.4 per cent of the vote and Todd Goudy won in Melfort with 78.5 per cent of the vote.
Voter turnout was 42.12 per cent in Swift Current and 34.22 per cent in Melfort, so the turnout of 32.42 per cent in Kindersley is the lowest of the three byelections. A total of 1,177 ballots were cast at advance polls in Kindersley.
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Patrick Bundrock, executive director for the Sask. Party, was in Kindersley on the night of the byelection. Francis held an election night event at the Norman Ritchie Community Centre. The executive director said it is the first time the party has ever won three byelections in one night.
He noted that the result is a strong endorsement for the party’s new leader, Premier Scott Moe. The 88.1 per cent of votes Francis received represents the single highest percentage of votes any Sask. Party candidate has ever achieved in any byelection or general election, according to Bundrock. The previous record was 86.1 per cent by Lloydminster MLA Colleen Young during the 2016 general election.
Francis was joined in Kindersley by Reg Downs, who is the premier’s chief of staff, and by members of the party’s caucus such as Jim Reiter, the province’s health minister and MLA for Rosetown-Elrose. Francis thanked his team including his campaign managers, volunteers and staff from the party.
He said he would be sworn in when the spring session opens on March 12 at the legislature. He noted that it is a great result and he shares his excitement with the party, but he would have liked to see a higher voter turnout.
“I’m excited for the result,” Francis said, recognizing the result sends a strong message that voters in Kindersley are engaged in the Sask. Party government, the new premier, and also in him as their elected representative. “I’m very excited, but I really wish there was better voter turnout.”
He noted that he and his team worked hard during the campaign, but the low voter turnout suggests he could have worked harder. He said winning the byelection was the ultimate goal and, regardless of the turnout, he is ecstatic to win.
Even in celebration, he said he is excited to get to work and one of his first tasks is to get a constituency office set up. Francis commended the other candidates, especially a young NDP candidate that stepped up to run in a byelection at only 22 years old. He said he will work hard to represent the interests of all Kindersley constituents regardless of whether or not they voted for him.
“I’m hoping to get my hands on some important files over the next couple years and do what I can to bring the wants and needs of the Kindersley constituency to the government in their budgeting,” said Francis, who thanked his supporters. “That’s going to be one of my focuses.”
He recalled the day after he won the party’s nomination to run in Kindersley. He said he received a call from Brad Wall, who was still the premier, and Wall told Francis that if he is elected to office, he should really enjoy the swearing in ceremony because it was his biggest highlight from when he was first elected.
Reiter said he shares Bundrock’s and Francis’ excitement for the results of the byelections. He said there are several reasons to be excited starting with the good job Francis and his team did at the local level, but also for the bigger picture.
“We were all watching this anxiously because this is a situation where it’s sort of a judgement on the new premier,” he said, recognizing that Moe has been the premier for a month and everything looks great. “You’ve seen the numbers for all three byelections and they look outstanding, so I’m very happy.”
The Rosetown-Elrose MLA said the party looks forward to adding Francis to its caucus. Reiter added that the party was optimistic about the outcome of the byelections, but all three of the constituencies were won in landslide fashion.
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