Travis Toews and Sonya Savage, who were first elected in 2019, said on Friday that they won’t run again
Travis Toews, who is Minister of Finance, and Sonya Savage, who is Minister of Environment and Protected Areas, both said on Friday that they will not run in the provincial election on May 29.
Toews put an end to months of rumors by making the announcement on Twitter first thing Friday morning.
He didn’t say much about why, but he did say that he is still very dedicated to the United Conservative Party and the conservative movement.
Friday afternoon, Savage tweeted that she would not run for re-election because she wanted to spend more time with her family.
Both Toews and Savage said they would stay in office until the end of their terms.
Savage said in her statement, “I have been interested in Conservative politics since I was in my teens, and I look forward to being a part of this party for many years to come.”
“I hope the next election goes well for the premier and my UCP colleagues, and I will be there to support the premier.”
Toews was elected MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti in 2019. He is a rancher and an accountant.
When he ran to replace former Premier Jason Kenney as party leader, he was Finance Minister for all but a few months. He came in second to Premier Danielle Smith.
As Alberta’s finance minister, Toews saw the best and worst of the province’s oil- and gas-based economy, including huge deficits, falling oil prices, and huge surpluses.
He did not back down from many controversial issues, such as de-indexing personal income tax, arguing for wage cuts for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and lifting the rate cap on auto insurance.
Savage was also elected in 2019, and she started out as Kenney’s energy minister. Smith moved Savage to the environment file when she became prime minister.
Savage was chosen to run for Calgary-North West, so the UCP will have to find a new candidate in the coming weeks.
Savage said in her statement that she is proud of building strong international relationships with the U.S., OPEC, and other energy-producing countries to improve global energy security. Savage is a lawyer from Calgary who worked in the oil and gas industry.
She wrote, “Throughout, I have had the honor of being able to show the world how important Alberta’s energy sector is and how it is leading the way in reducing emissions.”