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Ryan Domotor has been declared the new MLA of Cut Knife-Turtleford. (submitted photo/Ryan Domotor)
Decisive victory

Ryan Domotor wins Cut Knife-Turtleford riding

Oct 26, 2020 | 11:47 PM

For a riding that was poised to become one of the more interesting rural races, the Saskatchewan Party’s Ryan Domotor was elected MLA.

The former deputy mayor and councillor of the Town of Turtleford took home more than 75 per cent of the first preliminary count with more than 5,000 total votes.

“The numbers that are coming in, it’s just been an amazing experience,” he said.

Domotor said he owed a lot to his supporters and volunteers, who helped make sure he had a presence throughout the community, in neighbourhoods he was less familiar with.

“They went out in the in the community and promoted me, took me around to various people and introduced me,” he said. “Like I said, it’s been an awesome experience.”

After the high settles and work in his new role begins, Domotor said he’s going to make sure he brings forward the concerns of all his constituents, including a large number of those who voted NDP. While they differed on several issues, he said they presented valid points that must be brought to the legislature.

“They had some genuine concerns and I took notes of those and I will be bringing those forward once we sit down,” he said.

NDP’s Fedler disappointed, but proud

The night was not at all what Matt Fedler hoped for, garnering just over 12 per cent of the vote, but the NDP candidate was still proud of the work his supporters put in this fall. He also congratulated Domotor on his victory.

“Hopefully we can work together to make life better for people here in Cut Knife-Turtleford,” he said.

Fedler said he would be involved in some capacity with the NDP moving forward, but isn’t sure on exactly what’s next.

“I will be involved in trying to make positive change for the foreseeable future, whatever that role looks like,” he said.

Nelson excited for Buffalo Party’s future

Despite finishing third with just over 10 per cent of the vote, Richard Nelson said he feels good about where the party is headed and is optimistic for the next election. Despite not putting a candidate in the legislature, he said the party had a strong showing in several regions.

“This is the first time that the NDP hasn’t won or come in second in all the ridings, so for the Buffalo Party, we feel like that’s a win,” Nelson said. “We’ve arrived. We came in second in some of those ridings.”

“We showed that we were a more credible opposition choice to voters than even the NDP, and that shows a change in the way people were thinking.”

josh.ryan@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports

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