Former Wildrose MLA, ex-police chief among those running for Medicine Hat mayor

Two high-profile candidates — one a former three-time MLA and the other the city's former chief of police — have thrown their hats into the ring to run for mayor of Medicine Hat. 

One candidate, Drew Barnes, was elected twice as a Wildrose MLA (in 2012 and 2015) and then a third time as a United Conservative Party MLA (in 2019) but went on to be booted from the UCP caucus (in 2021) and finished out his term in provincial politics as an independent MLA, opting not to run again in the last election (in 2023).

The other, Andy McGrogan, is a first-term councillor during a consequential four-year stretch that saw the city make decisions on the future of its energy business and set deadlines to address internal dysfunction. 

Both filed to run for mayor on Tuesday with the aim of turning the page after years of division between the current mayor, council and administration.

A recent Alberta municipal affairs audit dubbed the conflict — that even made its way to a Calgary courtroom last summer — an "untenable working environment."

'Chaos has become the norm'

Barnes, a long-time businessman in the city, cited ongoing strife at city hall as a main reason to enter the race. 

"For the last four years, we haven't had the opportunity to sell what a great place we are … to the rest of Canada because of all the dysfunction in council," he said.  

"I just felt it was important to step up."

Barnes outlined the economy, crime, city spending and his opposition to "trendy issues," such as bike lanes, as top issues. 

He also touted his political experience in a campaign release that states "chaos has become the norm at city hall."

Barnes says he feels he has the support of Hatters, including some potential council candidates with similar platforms.

"We're going to run on a three-year property tax freeze, and … doing something about how much crime and homelessness has exploded in our city," he said.

"I've stuck to what I think is important: family first, fiscal conservative values, like job growth and opportunities, taxation at proper levels," he said. 

"(I have) stayed fairly relevant (politically), although I've enjoyed the break," he added.

Barnes served as the MLA for Cypress-Medicine Hat for three terms before leaving provincial politics in 2023, two years after he was removed from the UCP caucus for criticizing the party's leader at the time, Jason Kenney. 

He was also a leadership candidate for the Wildrose in 2015 after staying with the party following a mass floor-crossing to the governing Progressive Conservatives in 2014.

He has remained a critic of former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith, who led the floor crossing more than a decade ago, before becoming UCP leader, premier and the MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat. Barnes has argued a stronger stance on provincial sovereignty is needed. 

Medicine Hat-based political consultant Jim Groom says Barnes' political experience will benefit his campaign for mayor. 

"He's got a great ground game when it comes to politics," Groom said.

"He knows how to talk to people and knock on doors. He knows everybody in the community."

'Some stability'

McGrogan, who is the first member of the current council to file for re-election, told CBC News he is running because the city needs "some leadership and then some stability."

"I can provide the leadership that we need to bring some confidence back to the citizens of Medicine Hat that the city and council are heading in the right direction," he said.

McGrogan was one of seven councillors that voted in March 2024 to limit current mayor Linnsie Clark's powers after a third-party report found evidence she broke council's then code of conduct.

After Clark lost her role as spokesperson for the city, McGrogan, as acting mayor at the time, chaired council meetings and had to slam his gavel several times as Clark's supporters jeered from the public gallery. 

In August 2024, he proposed that council ask the Alberta government for a municipal audit with the aim of rooting out any lingering problems and setting up the next council for success. 

"The last four years have given him a wealth of experience, perhaps on how not to to be mayor," said Groom, a retired Medicine Hat College political science instructor.

Groom added McGrogan's time serving as police chief and councillor gives him name recognition that, like Barnes, comes with some political baggage.

McGrogan said he wants to see the current term through before revealing a platform, a plan he wants to build by hearing from voters at their doors.

"I'm going to pound down a million doors, talk to a whole bunch of people," he said.

State of play

Alan Rose, the first candidate to declare a run for mayor, also sought the top job in 2021 but placed a distant third at the ballot box. 

Rose wants to make Medicine Hat "a vibrant, growing community where industry wants to locate and provide well paying jobs," according to his campaign website.

Clark, the current mayor, did not return calls requesting comment on Tuesday. 

Clark has previously said she plans to announce her decision whether to run for mayor again after the completion of the municipal inspection. 

Those results were made public on July 21 and painted a picture of dysfunction that crippled city leadership over the last two years. 

Clark, formerly a city lawyer, won the 2021 election as a first-time candidate with about two-thirds of the votes.