UNITY—The province of Saskatchewan was on the edge of their seat Oct. 28, as election polls closed and workers started counting the ballots, waiting to see who would take their seat in the Legislative building.
Locally, communities within the Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald readership area are divided between two ridings: Cut Knife-Turtleford and Kindersley-Biggar. In past elections, voters in these areas typically voted for the Saskatchewan Party; however, the New Democratic Party and Sask. United Party candidates were coming in strongly this election.
For the newly constructed riding of Kindersley-Biggar, Saskatchewan Party candidate Kim Gartner has been elected.
“This is quite a humbling experience, having people place their faith in you to work as their representative and advocate is inspiring,” said Gartner on his win.
Although this is a new role for him, he said he hopes to approach it in the same manner he has approached other leadership positions he has pursued.
“Open and honest conversations are the best way to communicate. Problem-solving is a two-way conversation, and I believe this to be one of my many strengths,” he added.
NDP candidate, Cindy Hoppe, said she wishes she had more time to get her name out in the constituency.
“I think people were excited about our campaign focus and now it’s time for everyone to work together to build a better Saskatchewan. Congratulations, Kim, please govern for everyone in Saskatchewan,” she said.
Prior to the election, the Kindersley-Biggar and Rosetown-Delisle ridings were created, restructured from the previous Biggar-Sask Valley, Kindersley and Rosetown-Elrose ridings.
In the Cut Knife-Turtleford constituency, four candidates were on the ballot: James Thorsteinson (Saskatchewan Party), Clayton Pool (NDP), Steve Gessner (Sask United Party) and Holly Ennis (Green Party). Throughout the campaigning cycle, Thorsteinson, Pool and Gessner were out in the communities, talking to the voters at a multitude of local events.
The incumbent was former Saskatchewan Party member, Ryan Domotor, who was removed from the party caucus and stripped of all appointments and responsibilities in mid-November,2023. Domotor had been charged under a prostitution-related section of Canada's Criminal Code.
Thorsteinson, who won the seat, watched and celebrated with family, friends, supporters and volunteers at Lou’s & Sue’s Pizza and Grill. With the results being shown on various screens in the restaurant, the crowd applauded when a check mark showed up next to the candidate’s face on the television.
“I’m excited. I’m looking forward to serving the residents of Cut Knife-Turtleford. It looks like we may form a majority government, so it’ll be good to sit on the government side and be able to take the direction of the province,” said the newly elected MLA.
He said he plans to get his feet wet while learning about how the Legislature runs but hopes to bring up major issues in the riding related to healthcare and highways once he has settled. He also plans to stay connected with his constituents through his Facebook page, attending community events and through his office. He also hopes to hold some town hall meetings throughout the summer months of 2025.
As for his opponents, Thorsteinson appreciated the other three candidates for putting their names forward.
“It’s a big step to put your name forward for public office, whether it’s municipal, federal or provincial. Hats off to you all for running a good race,” he added.
Gessner watched the results come in at home with his wife. He spoke to SaskToday.ca as the results were coming in, showing the Sask Party lead in the numbers.
“This was not unexpected in my opinion. We all fought a good fight, and the voters deserve someone who will work for them,” said Gessner.
He admits he did everything he could throughout the campaigning cycle, crediting his small group of supporters.
“It came down to a matter of dollars and cents. The help I had was fantastic and I could not have done it by myself,” he added.
At the time of publication, SaskToday.ca and Unity-Wilkie Press-Herald had not heard from the other candidates in the two constituencies.
