Historic Win for Manitoba’s First Female Premier Marred by Opponent’s Fraud Claim
Historic Win for Manitoba Premier Heather Stefanson Sours as Glover Cries Fraud
(Bloomberg) -- Manitoba swore in Heather Stefanson as the first female premier in its history on Tuesday, but the event was marred by an election dispute that has her opponent claiming victory.
Stefanson won the top political job in the western Canadian province by defeating Shelly Glover in the Progressive Conservative Party’s leadership race to replace outgoing Premier Brian Pallister. The contest was tight: Stefanson won by 363 votes out of about 16,500 cast.
“This was something that was once unthinkable,” Stefanson said in a statement. “I reflect on the many people who have paved the way to make this possible and I promise that our government will embrace their values of equality, inclusivity and understanding.”
Glover, a former police officer, has refused to concede defeat, saying there were “substantial irregularities” in the party election. She filed a court challenge to declare Stefanson’s win invalid and order a new vote.
“I feel I’m the winner. I feel I was the Premier-designate,” Glover said Tuesday by phone. “They swore in the wrong person in my opinion.” In an email to Bloomberg, a member of Glover’s campaign staff referred to her as “Premier Glover.”
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