OTTAWA — A Conservative cabinet minister has lost her bid to run for the party in a newly created Saskatechewan riding in the next federal election.
Minister of State for Consular Affairs Lynne Yelich was being challenged for the nomination by local sports broadcaster Kevin Waugh to represent Saskatoon-Grasswood.
She had represented the riding of Blackstrap since 2000 but it was sliced up during the redistribution of boundaries for the upcoming campaign.
She was one of only a few currently serving Conservative MPs who had to fight for the Conservative nod in newly created ridings.
Another was former aboriginal affairs minister and current government whip John Duncan, who eventually succeeded in winning the nomination for the new B.C. riding of Courtenay-Alberni.
Longtime Conservative MP Rob Anders lost two bids to get the party’s nomination in two different Calgary-area ridings.