2004 Candidates:
Teena Cormack (Social Credit)
James Graves (NDP)
Ed Klop (Alberta Alliance)
Ray Prins (PC)
Glen Simmonds (Liberal)

Maps from Elections Alberta will open in a new window.

Riding Profile:
A rural riding in central Alberta, Lacombe-Ponoka was formed in 2004 through the combination of the western half of Lacombe-Stettler (north and west of Buffalo Lake) with most of Ponoka-Rimbey (save for the area east of Highway 56 and the area west of Bluffton). Communities include Rimbey, Ponoka, Bashaw, Lacombe and Blackfalds. The riding has 40,437 residents.

Agriculture, followed by the health care and social service sectors, is the main provider of jobs in Lacombe-Ponoka. The average household income, $54,286, is well below the Alberta average. One in 12 residents is considered low income. Three-fifths of residents are from Alberta, while about one in 12 is an immigrant.

Political History:
The history of the old Ponoka-Rimbey riding was largely the history of two Tories: D.J. McCrimmon and Halvar Jonson. McCrimmon was elected in 1971, unseating the Social Credit incumbent by 17 votes, and served as MLA until 1982. Jonson succeeded him, winning office by a comfortable margin over a Western Canada Concept candidate. In 1986, 1989, 1993 and 1997 Jonson triumphed by ever-wider margins, defeating NDP, Liberal and Social Credit runners-up. In 2001, he beat Liberal Tim Falkiner by a 5-1 margin. Jonson, who isn't running in this election, has served in numerous cabinet posts and is now the minister of intergovernmental and international relations.

In 2001, voter turnout was 58.5 per cent.

Lacombe-Stettler, created in 1993, only had one MLA, PC Judy Gordon. She was first elected that year, defeating Liberal Ed Whiteside by almost 3,600 votes. In 1997, Social Credit challenger Bob Argent fared no better, falling by 4,689 votes. Almost 6,000 votes separated Gordon, who isn't running in this election, and Liberal Doug McDavid in 2001.

In 2001, voter turnout was 55.7 per cent.