Cypress—Medicine Hat

Occupying the southeastern corner of Alberta, this riding takes in the southern portion of the City of Medicine Hat, the towns of Redcliff and Irvine, all of Cypress County, and vast stretches of prairie rangeland extending to the Saskatchewan border. The local economy rests on natural gas production, cattle ranching, irrigated farming, and Medicine Hat's long-established greenhouse and manufacturing sectors, powered by the city's abundant natural gas reserves that once earned it the nickname "The Gas City." The seat opened up after three-term MLA Drew Barnes, expelled from the UCP caucus in May 2021 alongside Todd Loewen, chose not to seek the UCP nomination and did not run for re-election.

Candidates

Justin Wright (United Conservative) — Wright is a businessman who owns a food truck and catering company in Medicine Hat. Originally from London, Ontario, he won the UCP nomination in March 2023, defeating James Finkbeiner. He campaigned on support for school choice, continued highway development, and revisiting the Meridian Dam proposal for water storage and irrigation.

Cathy Hogg (NDP) — Hogg is a rancher in the Cypress Hills whose family has operated a cattle ranch in the area for over a century. She served as a board trustee for Prairie Rose Public Schools since 2013, including as chair, and was also president of the Public School Boards Association of Alberta. She won the NDP nomination in a contested race, the first in the party's history in the constituency.

Matt Orr (Wildrose Loyalty Coalition) — Orr ran as the Wildrose Loyalty Coalition candidate in Cypress—Medicine Hat.

Cody Ray Both (Take It Back) — Both ran as the Take It Back candidate in Cypress—Medicine Hat.

Local Issues

Healthcare emerged as a leading concern in Cypress—Medicine Hat, reflecting the province-wide crisis. The shortage of family physicians in Medicine Hat and especially in smaller communities like Redcliff and Irvine left many residents without access to primary care. Emergency department wait times increased at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital, and the broader Alberta pattern of rural ER closures due to staffing shortages heightened anxiety about the sustainability of local health services.

The riding's natural gas sector experienced a partial recovery after the punishing commodity price lows of 2019-2020, but producers expressed frustration with regulatory uncertainty and the pace of pipeline approvals. The agricultural sector faced the 2021 drought, which was severe on the southern plains and devastated pastureland, forcing ranchers into emergency destocking. Irrigation districts, vital to the region's crop production, became increasingly important as climate variability intensified, renewing interest in the Meridian Dam proposal.

Barnes's departure from the political scene after over a decade of representation left the riding without an incumbent for the first time since 2012. His expulsion from the UCP over criticism of Kenney's pandemic management had resonated with many constituents who shared his frustrations, but the party's organizational strength and the UCP's overwhelming dominance in southeastern Alberta meant the nomination contest, not the general election, was effectively the decisive race.