Candidates for Saskatoon-University weigh in on final days of the campaign

Claire Card joined the nationwide group of federal candidates moving door-to-door over the weekend to convince any last-minute voters to check their names at the ballot box on Monday.

The NDP candidate for Saskatoon-University was shaking hands and leaving leaflets in mailboxes in preparation for what Card expects to be a tight race on Monday.

“Could be hundreds of votes,” Card said about the separation between her and Conservative candidate Corey Tochor.

“That’s why mobilizing the votes is super important for us. We’re out talking to voters and will be throughout election day.”

Monday marks Card’s second attempt at representing the riding in Ottawa. She lost out to Brad Trost in 2015, but managed to claim over 31 per cent of the vote.

Tochor is taking Trost’s place after defeating him for the nomination in March, 2018.

Tochor was quick to tow the party line when asked how tight the race is during his campaigning on Saturday.

“We’ll let the voters decide on who they would like to represent them in Ottawa,” he said. “A vote for any other party right now is a vote for Justin Trudeau.”

Susan Hayton is the Liberal candidate in the riding and while many predict the seat will go to either the NDP or Conservatives, Hayton isn’t buying into that narrative.

“Last election in 2015, 40 per cent of people voted Conservative, but 60 per cent of people voted not Conservative,” Hayton said.

“(Card) was ahead last time; she came in second. But we have no recent polls to suggest (Card) is in front of me. I have said to (Card), ‘If you have evidence you’re ahead, let me know.’ I certainly don’t see it as a two-horse race.”

Acknowledging federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s comments that he would support a coalition if the interested parties didn’t include the Conservatives, Tochor is hoping to cash in on local complaints of Trudeau’s weak leadership.

“People are making the connection … if you want to see change, you need to vote Conservative. This time around, a vote for the NDP is a backdoor vote for Trudeau,” he said.

Distaste and disappointment towards Trudeau’s leadership is something both Card and Tochor are hoping to take advantage of when the votes are tallied.

“A lot of people are not party members and they change their votes based on what they think is best for their family and for the country, and (Trudeau) is definitely a factor. We’re fighting the Conservatives basically at this point,” Card said.

No matter the circumstance, Tochor wants to see  people exercise the right to vote.

“If you’re driving home and think your vote doesn’t matter, it does. It matters in Saskatoon-University,” he said.