Sherwood Park News has reported:

Sarah Geisler is seeking the Alberta NDP nomination in Strathcona-Sherwood Park, hoping to challenge United Conservative Party MLA Nate Glubish in the next provincial election. The longtime Strathcona County employee said residents’ frustration at feeling ignored by elected representatives helped motivate her decision to run. She is vice-president of the local NDP constituency association and works as a public engagement advisor with the county.

Geisler said accessibility and responsiveness would guide her approach if elected. “I would like to be reachable, and actually responsive,” she said. “That was certainly one of my frustrations with our current representative.” She said many residents feel disconnected from elected officials and added, “We can and should do better. We’re working for the community. They’re the boss and we should be able to hear from them.”

Affordability is among the concerns she hears most often. “Affordability keeps coming up over and over again,” Geisler said. “Even though we have that higher-than-average income out here and the perception is that everybody’s rich, a lot of people are still struggling.” She cited growing demand at the Strathcona Christmas Bureau and local food banks as evidence of continuing financial pressure on families.

Geisler also said health care is regularly raised by residents. She argued governments should spend more time listening to front-line workers and medical professionals. “We need to listen to the people that are closest to an issue because they usually have some solutions,” she said. “We need to actually try them instead of thinking that we as policy-makers always know best.”

On Alberta separation, Geisler said she opposes the idea and supports a united Canada. “My view is frustration that we have to be talking about it at all,” she said. “It’s been an incredible waste of resources and a distraction from a lot of the other issues that we should be working on.” She said her family’s roots in the region span generations, adding, “I’ve got really deep roots in the area. It boggles my mind how anyone could think that we would be better alone.”

Geisler identified misinformation and increasingly toxic political discourse as additional concerns. She said people need to be willing to speak respectfully with those who disagree with them. “Misinformation and toxicity is a problem,” she said. “We need to learn again how to disagree agreeably. It’s okay to have conversations with people that don’t agree with you.”