EDMONTON - Alberta now has six different candidates vying for the PC Party Leadership and every one of them is doing their best to distance themselves from current Premier Ed Stelmach. Stelmach's reign in office has been roundly considered to be a disaster, as he has managed to run one of the most bountiful, resource-rich places on earth into an annual deficit.

The following candidates have registered to run for the party leadership on. The election takes place on September 17th.

Gary Mar – Alberta's former "Ambassador to the U.S" and provincial Education Minister, who is primarily running on an "education first" platform. If that means higher spending for public schools he could be in big trouble – there is little appetite for more spending in the province.

Doug Horner – Horner is the candidate who could be considered most like Ed Stelmach, even if he doesn't want to be. Horner is supported by a number of MLAs who were particularly responsible for Stelmach's rise to prominence, so he may have a tough time distancing himself from the current state of affairs.

Alison Redford – Of all the candidates, Redford is the most left-leaning. A former stint as a "human rights" lawyer should raise some concerns with those who oppose the mock trials that our Human Rights Tribunals perform.

Doug Griffiths – Griffiths is the youngest of the candidates at 38 years of age. Griffith has promised to run on education reform and "increased environmental stewardship" of Alberta's resources. This may be alarming to some taxpayers who have already seen their property rights encroached upon.

Rick Orman – The latest addition to the leadership race, Orman is positioning himself as a quiet, no nonsense businessman. He is aiming to make his return to public service after a stint in the private sector, and he has embraced the straightforward attitude he became known for outside of government.

Ted Morton – The former Minister of Finance and university professor, Morton is considered the farthest-right candidate on the ballot. Morton is also the only current candidate who ran for party leadership in 2006. Often noted as a fiscal-hawk, Morton has the most experience managing the province's financial matters.
 
All of these candidates are eager to demonstrate that they are not Ed Stelmach and that they never agreed with his policies. Whether this is true or not it shows that the current crop of candidates can read the writing on the wall and that they are willing to listen to disenchanted PC voters. Remember, these candidates have also witnessed the transformation of the Wildrose Party from an unknown grassroots movement into a potential challenger.
 
Just as with the Tea Party in America, the Wildrose Party may prove to be a benefit to the PC party.  To avoid splintering their core base of support, the PC party has been forced to move farther to the right. This has stemmed the growth of the Wildrose Party in recent months -  in fact, several former Wildrose members are now jumping ship to join Ted Morton's campaign. The fact that Morton's campaign colours are blue and green - the same as the Wildrose Party - could hint at the fact that he views himself as the candidate most capable of bridging the gap between both parties. 

Many observers considered Stelmach's appointment of Morton as Minister of Finance and Enterprise a desperate attempt to save face amongst the party's supporters. Morton has a lengthy track record of fiscal conservatism to run on in the upcoming election, which is something that is lacking with other candidates.  This is something Albertans want in their premier – and it may just vault Morton to the top of the pile before all is said and done in September.