Murray thumbs a ride
Kim McNairn, CBC Radio News | May 21

It's not every day the leader of a provincial political party hops in your car.

I was on my way to meet Reg Atkinson, the Tory candidate in Brandon West. Tory leader Stuart Murray was going too.

"Can I ride with you?" asked Murray after knocking on the door of my company Chevrolet outside a local Tory campaign office. He scooped up the water bottle and map on the passenger seat and hopped in.

"Sure, I guess," I replied cautiously as he was already sitting down, making himself comfortable.

On the 10-minute ride to Brandon's southwest end, Murray talked about his children, Brandon's new anti-smoking bylaw, and how he hopes his children don't smoke. He wants to know about my life, how I came to move to Winnipeg late last year.

At homes in Brandon's south end, Murray is equally forward. He's taking advantage of every chance he gets to get to know people – and to win their vote.

At one house, a woman wants to know where she can vote in advance; the family has a wedding to go to on election day. The teenage son wants the government to put more money into education. Murray is well-received, but upon leaving he asks, "I hope we can count on your support."

Silence.

Murray bids a polite goodbye. He moves on, unfazed. The Brandon West constituency has deep Tory roots. It was just in the last election that the seat turned NDP, but at so many doorsteps, people seem reluctant to give the Tories more than a pleasant greeting, even after a little chat with the party leader.

A political science professor here tells me it will take a miracle for the Tories to win back Brandon West. They've got an NDP cabinet minister in Scott Smith now.

But more than anything, says Prof. Meir Serfaty, the Tories and Liberals and don't have a lot to work with. There are no captivating local issues here to fight over. How can you argue against Brandon being on the receiving end of millions of dollars of government-sponsored projects such as the $60 million expansion of the regional health centre?

Still, the Tories are incredibly optimistic. The party still dominates much of rural Western Manitoba. Stuart Murray is not giving up on Brandon. And he's willing to take every moment – even hopping a ride with a reporter – to make his pitch.