Former PC party president expected to challenge Nenshi for mayoralty
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A former Tory kingmaker is expected to throw his hat in the ring to challenge incumbent Mayor Naheed Nenshi in the fall municipal election.
Bill Smith, a Calgary lawyer and former president of the Alberta Progressive Conservative party during the reign of Premier Ed Stelmach, is expected to kick off his campaign Monday at an event at Fort Calgary.
Though not well known outside of political circles, Smith’s track record as a successful fundraiser for the former provincial PCs means he’s likely to usurp Coun. Andre Chabot as the top conservative challenger to Nenshi.
“Bill is going to be the standard bearer for the conservative movement,” said Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt.
“While Nenshi has some very, very loyal supporters, and they’re not in small numbers, he’s also vulnerable to a strong conservative challenger, and I think Bill Smith is that challenger.”
Bratt said he expects Smith will attack the incumbent mayor on issues such as property taxes.
“We don’t normally see an incumbent mayor being challenged like this and it’s going to make the fall (election) very interesting.”
Smith, a former city firefighter, currently runs his own law firm, the Law Shop, from offices in Eau Claire.
This is not Smith’s first foray into local politics.
Smith lost a 1998 bid for a seat on the Calgary Board of Education to former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith.
He joins Chabot, Calgary businessman Shawn Baldwin and David Lapp in challenging Nenshi on Oct. 16.
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