Why I'm Running (Again): Volunteers, Vision, and the Work Ahead

First of all, I want to say thank you so much to everyone who signed my nomination form. While I only needed 25 signatures to file I submitted the application with over 50 signatures. THANK YOU! If you don't know what I'm talking about or want to know more about the the next steps - keep reading :)

Let's start at the very beginning - EDAs

If you want to get more involved in politics but don't know where to start, try contacting the chair of your Electoral District Association (EDA) is a great first step.

Every riding has an EDA. They are 100% volunteer driven and they serve 3 primary purposes: 1) Endorse and support the candidate of the Party for election to the House of Commons 2) Engage in, and support, field organizing, outreach and fundraising 3) Facilitate input into Party policy by Registered Liberals

A good EDA is the heart and soul of a strong campaign. It is through the work of dedicated volunteers that candidates are able participate election cycles with the funding and resources they need. Find your EDA here: https://liberal.ca/find-your-riding/

Provincial Territorial Boards (PTB) & Commissions Every province and territory has a PTB that is also made up entirely of volunteers. These folks are elected into their positions and work hard to support EDAs by providing training, resources, and support. The LPC also has 4 Commissions: Women's Liberal Commission, Indigenous Peoples' commission, Senior Liberals' Commission and Young Liberals of Canada Commission. You can learn more about each of these commissions, what they do and how to get involved here: https://liberal.ca/commissions/

Together, the PTB and the 4 Commissions, play an integral role in election readiness, policy development, outreach, and fundraising.

Nomination?

In the 2025 Federal Election I was the candidate for Edmonton Manning, I was obviously not elected but still pretty dang proud of what we accomplished. As the candidate I was invited to several election debrief calls where I got to hear from other candidates and EDA representatives across Alberta regarding what worked well and where we had room for improvement. A consistent theme I heard is that we have work to do across the province to strengthen our EDAs and start preparing for the next election today.

It it is for this purpose, I have decided to seek nomination on the Alberta PTB as the Regional Chair for the Edmonton district. While Edmonton only won 1 seat in the House in the 2025 election, we saw record level Liberal votes in many ridings. There is momentum and I don't want to see that momentum slip away.

If elected, I will support each of Edmonton's EDAs in three key ways:

1. We need to stabilize all Edmonton EDAs by filling vacant positions and ensure there is a strong volunteer base identified in each riding.

2. Leveraging my experience as a candidate and an education manager and my masters degree in Business Administration, I will work with EDAs to ensure they understand the tools and resources available to them. I will help them build tailored election readiness plans and and ensure they have strategic roadmaps in place.

3. As a region, I want to see an increased LPC profile. We need to raise our voices in all the best ways. We will do this by collaborating across the region, hosting community events, and building a stronger social media presence.

In order to put my name forward for this position, I had to complete an application and gather 25 signatures - which I did, thanks to folks like you!

Election

So, what's next? Voting for PTB positions, including the Regional Chair, will take place at the LPC(Alberta) convention happening September 26 & 27 in Calgary. Unfortunately, you have to be there in person to vote but at the time of writing, tickets are still available using the link below. I would love to see you there!

https://alberta2025.liberal.ca/about/

For me, Canada Strong isn't just a slogan. It's a reminder of how much we can achieve when we work together.

<3 Blair