Lumsden-Morse byelection a test in Saskatchewan Party stronghold

The byelection in Lumsden-Morse will serve as an interesting litmus test for the political temperature of rural Saskatchewan, according to one expert.

Tom McIntosh, aprofessor of politics and international studies at the University of Regina,told CBC News thathe expects the constituency to be safely held by the governing Saskatchewan Party.

But with a series of upstart parties runningcandidates, the dynamic will be an interesting one to watch.

"If they got the [Saskatchewan Party] still winning the seat but with only a plurality of the vote instead of a majority of the vote, that might send a bit of a scare into the [Saskatchewan Party] in the sense that their rural stronghold may not be as strong as they think," McIntosh said.

Lumsden-Morse shares a partial border with city of Regina and extends into southwest Saskatchewan. The constituency hasbeen a Saskatchewan Party stronghold since it was created ahead of the 2016 provincial election.

Veteran Saskatchewan Party MLA and former minister of agriculture Lyle Stewart earned more than 70 per cent of the vote in the 2016 and 2020 election.

Stewart announcedhis resignation in March for health reasons.Nowthere's an opportunityfor a new person to hold the seat.

Of the trio of byelectionsset for Aug. 10, only Lumsden-Morse has candidates from the three parties currently with a seat in the legislature; The Saskatchewan Party, New Democratic Party and the Saskatchewan United Party.

Blaine McLeodis the nomineefor the Saskatchewan Party. According to a party biography, McLeodhasbeen a dairy farmer in Caronport, Sask.,for 42 years.

He currentlyserves as the Saskatchewan Director with Dairy Farmers of Canada and operatesCaroncrest Farms Ltd. with his sons.

Kaitlyn Stadnykis the candidate for the New Democratic Party and grew up on her family's farm near Lumsdenand is currently completing her Bachelor of Human Justice at the University of Regina.

She's a volunteer that's worked with non-profit organizations including the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan .

Jon Hromekis the Saskatchewan United Party's candidate and hasworked in the province's energy sector since graduating from the University of Regina in 2003 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Petroleum Engineering.

He'sfounded and managed numerous oil exploration and production companies and currently serves as the CEOof Adonai Resources II Corporation.

McIntosh said the Saskatchewan United Party's role is something he'll follow closely, as they likely pose the biggest threat.

"If the United Party could finish second, that might shake the Sask Party a little," he said.

The Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Green Party are also running candidates in theconstituency.

Les Guilleministhe candidate of the Buffalo Party of Saskatchewan. According to a party profile,he's lived in Regina for 32 years and is employed by a crane company.

Isaiah Hunter is representingtheSaskatchewan Green Party and ran in the constituency in the 2020 provincial election.

Hunter has attendedLumsden Elementary School and Lumsden High School and is currently attending SaskPolytech for a computer/automated systems technician certification.

He's also the son of Saskatchewan Green Party leader Naomi Hunter.