Scott Moe has been elected as the new leader of the Saskatchewan Party.
Moe, who has been the MLA for Rosthern-Shellbrook since 2011, defeated Alanna Koch on the fifth and final ballot of Saturday's Sask. Party leadership convention to win the leadership race, and to become the premier-elect for the province.
He will replace Brad Wall, who announced in August that he would step down once a new leader of the Sask. Party is selected. Wall will remain premier until Moe is sworn in.
Moe captured 53.87 per cent of the popular vote, in the final ballot.
Among his backers was Estevan MLA Lori Carr.
Moe was the minister for Advanced Education from 2014 to 2016, and the minister of Environment in 2016 and 2017. During his tenure as the environment minister, he made several visits to Estevan to promote the carbon capture and storage project at the Boundary Dam Power Station.
Koch actually had a narrow lead over Moe after the first three ballots. But Moe took the lead after the fourth ballot, when Ken Cheveldayoff was knocked off the ballot, and the bulk of Cheveldayoff's support went to Moe instead of Koch.
Gordon Wyant, Tina Beaudry-Mellor and Rob Clarke were the other candidates. Clarke dropped out in December, a month after joining the leadership race.
Next week's edition of the Mercury will have more on this story.
