Former Turtle Mountain mayor enlisted by NDP for run in PC stronghold
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KILLARNEY — The Manitoba NDP has nominated former longtime Killarney-Turtle Mountain mayor Rick Pauls as its candidate in Turtle Mountain for the upcoming general election.
Pauls served as mayor of the municipality for 13 years between 2007 and 2020 and currently serves as a councillor.
“If you elect Rick Pauls as our candidate, you’re not electing somebody to throw stones from the sidelines. You’re sending somebody to sit at the table of a serious government,” Premier Wab Kinew said at a nomination meeting at The Oak and Owl Café to a crowd of about 80 people.
Alex Lambert/The Brandon Sun
Rick Pauls, flanked by Premier Wab Kinew, speaks at a Turtle Mountain nomination meeting in Killarney on Monday. The former longtime Killarney-Turtle Mountain mayor will represent the NDP in the next provincial election in 2027.
Kinew said it’s nice to have a candidate with so much experience in municipal politics.
“Now we’ve got a very, very high-calibre candidate,” he told reporters after the meeting. “I think with a great candidate, we’ve got a shot at the seat, which has been longtime Conservative, but where people, I think, want to have representation.”
Progressive Conservative Turtle Mountain MLA Doyle Piwniuk said he will be leaving politics at the end of his term. Piwniuk lives near Virden, outside the riding.
Pauls said it’s time for a local representative.
“I think we want some local leadership, somebody who has lived here all their life,” Pauls said after the meeting. “We know the issues in the area. We’ve lived with them.”
Pauls said infrastructure and health care are the main issues on his mind.
It’s time for the Tory stronghold to turn orange, Pauls added.
“Times are changing, and it is going to be a very big challenge for them to keep this riding,” Pauls said.
“Years ago, there was a TV show Orange is the New Black — wildly popular. We’re planning on making ‘Orange is the New Blue,’” he told the crowd.
Kinew said the party is nominating Pauls now because it gives the party its “best shot.”
“If this seat only comes up in the general election, then we’ll have more than a year to campaign for it and to share our message about health care and the cost of living,” he said.
“But if the seat opens up earlier, which, you know, none of us can rule that out, then we’ll be ready to go,” he said.
When asked if he’s thinking about calling an early election, Kinew said “no,” and outlined the party’s priorities again.
The Turtle Mountain riding was recreated ahead of the 2019 election. Piwniuk won 67 and 55 per cent of the vote for the PCs in the 2019 and 2023 elections, respectively. He had previously served as MLA for Arthur-Virden before constituencies were redrawn.
The NDP finished with 11 and 23 per cent of the vote in the riding in 2019 and 2023, respectively. It finished in second place in 2023, and third place — behind the Green Party — in 2019.
Wally Daudrich, who narrowly lost the 2025 PC leadership vote against Obby Khan, announced in December he would seek the PC nomination in Turtle Mountain.
— Brandon Sun