Representation, strategy or both? Sask. election sees increase in racialized immigrant candidates

Saskatchewan’s 2024 provincial election features an increase of racialized immigrant candidates, which an expert says makes strategic sense.

In the 2020 provincial elections, the NDP ran many racialized immigrant candidates in Saskatoon and Regina.

This time the Sask. Party has 13 such candidates to the NDP’s three. Those numbers don’t include Indigenous candidates on either side; only candidates who immigrated to Canada at some point in their life.

Why so few for the NDP?

Daniel Westlake, assistant professor in the department of political studies at University of Saskatchewan, said as Saskatchewan becomes more diverse, there’s more pressure on the parties to nominate a more diverse slate of candidates.

“Sask. Party doesn’t surprise me, but I am surprised not to see the NDP with more ethnic, racialized minority candidates,” he said. “In large part because the NDP has been quite proactive in a lot of other provinces at ensuring they’ve recruited a diverse slate.”

Westlake noted that the Sask. NDP has many candidates who are women and people from underrepresented groups such as Indigenous and 2SLGBTQ+ people.

“They kind of missed the need to recruit a more ethnically diverse array of candidates,” he said.

Valuable representation or strategic campaigning?

Westlake said it is important for parties to represent the voters in the province.

“Voters like to see candidates who look like them, who reflect their backgrounds.”

Westlake said it makes sense strategically for parties to try to appeal to immigrant populations. He said the federal Conservative Party and the Ontario Conservative Party have made these kinds of efforts in past elections.

“We know from looking at the federal Conservative Party, really from the Harper years forward, there’s a concerted effort to try to win over voters from ethno-racialized minority backgrounds who might have otherwise conservative views,” he said.

“I would be shocked if the Saskatchewan Party wasn’t thinking in the same terms, watching the province become more diverse, watching suburban ridings that are more competitive become more diverse, and realizing they need to make sure that they’re recruiting candidates who can represent that diversity.”

Some diverse candidates ‘sacrificial lambs’

In at least seven ridings, first-time ethno-racialized minority candidates will run for the Sask. Party against NDP incumbents:

• In Saskatoon Fairview, the Sask. Party’s Zahid Sandhu will run against NDP’s Vicki Mowat, who has held the position since 2017.
• In Saskatoon Nutana, Mumtaz Naseeb will run against NDP incumbent Erika Ritchie, who was elected in 2020.
• Saskatoon Meewasin will see the Sask. Party’s Maureen Alice Torr run against the NDP’s Nathaniel Teed.
• Regina Mount Royal will have Jaspreet Mander versus 17-year NDP MLA Trent Wotherspoon. 
• Regina Elphinstone-Centre has Caesar Khan contesting NDP’s 2020 incumbent Meara Conway. 
• Regina South Albert has the Sask. Party’s Khushdil (Lucky) Mehrok against the NDP’s 2020 incumbent Aleana Young. 
• Regina Walsh Acres has the Sask. Party’s Liaqat Ali standing against NDP’s Jared Clarke who was elected in 2023.

Westlake said past research has shown political parties are less likely to put up women in competitive ridings, “a dynamic that can be carried over to other underrepresented groups.”

“We do see this troubling phenomena where both women and the racialized minorities end up being run as sacrificial lambs,” he said.

“Basically in ridings where the party already knows they have no hope of winning.”

Westlake suspects that might be happening in ridings like Saskatoon Nutana.

Representation matters

Khushdil (Lucky) Mehrok, the Sask. Party candidate for Regina South Albert, said diversity in politics is important.

“I think it is one of the most diverse ridings in Regina. We have people from all ethnic backgrounds.… We got somebody from every part of the world here,” he said. “We are one family.”

Mehrok said his journey, from a general labourer to running for office 18 years later, connects with his voters, as many immigrants have similar stories.

“I think it is most important if somebody is from a background like me running and people can relate to them.”

When asked about his probability of winning against NDP’s 2020 incumbent Aleana Young, Mehrok said he is “quite positive,” as this will be the first election for that new riding.

Mehrok said he feels he has an upper hand in terms of diversity, thanks to the boundary for the riding having changed since the previous election.

“Now the riding has shifted more to the west, which is on the Harbour Landing side, and most of the immigrants and the newcomers live in that part of the riding,” he said. “I think it’s going to help us quite a bit.”

CBC also reached out to Sask. NDP to speak with one of their three racialized immigrant candidates, but only Leader Carla Beck was made available.

Beck reiterated Westlake’s point that more than 50 per cent of the NDP’s candidates are women. 

“I’m proud of the slate of candidates that we’ve put forward. They’re working hard to represent, to connect with people in their communities,” she said.

“If we are elected, if we have the honour of forming a government, it is our focus on making sure that we represent all people.”

Beck said she is not taking any constituency for granted, even where the NDP has had strong support in the past.

In two ridings, both parties are running racialized immigrant candidates.

The Sask. Party’s Muhammad Fiaz is facing NDP candidate Bhajan Brar in Regina Pasqua and the Sask. Party’s Riaz Ahmad is against the NDP’s Noor Burki in Regina Pasqua.

Westlake said it is not surprising, given the demographic make-ups of those ridings.