Karen Peters, former nomination candidate for Grande Prairie Wapiti, Facebook campaign photo
GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. — The United Conservative Party has disqualified Grande Prairie-Wapiti nomination candidate Karen Peters, clearing the way for incumbent MLA Ron Wiebe to carry the party’s banner in the 2027 provincial election.
Peters confirmed her disqualification in a Facebook statement thanking her supporters and saying she would tell her story when the time is right.
“I am saddened to report that I have been disqualified from seeking the UCP nomination in Grande Prairie-Wapiti,” Peters said.
The party has not publicly announced the decision or provided a reason for removing Peters from the nomination race.
Peters said her greatest concern was for party members who bought memberships, volunteered for her campaign or expected to vote for their preferred candidate.
“That choice has now been taken away,” she said.
“Democracy isn’t about ensuring your candidate wins. Democracy is about ensuring the people get to choose.”
Peters said the decision leaves Grande Prairie-Wapiti facing the prospect of having an MLA selected without an open nomination vote for a second consecutive election.
A similar situation played out in Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo in April 2023, when the UCP removed Zulkifl Mujahid as its candidate after he defeated incumbent MLA Tany Yao for the nomination.
The party cited legal matters scheduled to be before the courts during the provincial election campaign. Mujahid was replaced by Yao, who went on to win the 2023 provincial election with 67.7 per cent of the popular vote.
In Grande Prairie-Wapiti, Wiebe also entered the 2023 election without an open nomination vote after his candidacy was endorsed through a motion of the local constituency association board. He was elected to the legislature on May 29, 2023, succeeding former finance minister Travis Toews.
Although no official reason has been released, political commentator Dave Cournoyer reported Peters was the constituency association president and had posted on her personal Facebook page about chemtrails and vaccination conspiracy theories.
Cournoyer said the posts had raised concerns among political observers, but wrote neither issue is grounds for disqualification under current UCP rules.
The Grande Prairie-Wapiti nomination vote had been scheduled for Sept. 1, with Peters as the only challenger to Wiebe.
With Peters disqualified and the nomination deadline closed, Wiebe has won the nomination by acclamation under the party’s constituency association rules.
Wiebe is a lifelong entrepreneur who has worked in the transportation industry. He has served as a municipal councillor, a member of the Northwest Polytechnic Board of Governors and on several non-profit and community boards.
Peters said her political work would continue despite her removal from the Grande Prairie-Wapiti race.
“They may have taken my name off the ballot,” she said. “But they have not taken my voice, and more importantly they have not taken yours.”
“This story is not over.”
Alberta’s next provincial general election is scheduled for Oct. 18, 2027.
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