NDP nominates rocket scientist as Foothills candidate

The New Democrats have entered the Foothills race.

Ahead of the federal election scheduled for April 28, the New Democratic Party (NDP) has nominated Kaitte Aurora to run in the Foothills riding.

Based in Lethbridge, Aurora is a rocket scientist with a background in space systems engineering and computational fluid dynamics.

A background in science is a key asset for Aurora, who considers coal mining and renewable energy to be among the top issues in the Foothills.

"Here in Southern Alberta, we have the best conditions on earth for the combination of wind, solar and next-gen geothermal," they said. "We had a booming industry right up until the Conservatives killed it on us."

Beyond provincial politics, Aurora believes the NDP is the right choice for Canada.

"We've stopped believing that we can do things together, we've stopped believing that we as a public have the ability to take action ourselves to our own benefit," they said. "You look at the Liberals and the Conservatives, and they're still stuck in that mindset, so if you want something different, it's the NDP."

In Lethbridge, Aurora is extensively involved in activism and community initiatives, including the Citizens of Lethbridge Urban Chicken Club, a non-profit working to reverse the city's ban on urban chicken-keeping.

Aurora had initially sought the nomination for the Lethbridge riding, which replaced Lethbridge-Foothills in 1987, but lost the nomination contest. The party then offered them the Foothills nomination.

"I really do want to use this as an opportunity to make things better for not just the people here in Lethbridge, but the people in the Foothills," said Aurora.

Aurora joins Conservative incumbent John Barlow, Liberal John Bruinsma, People's Party candidate Paul O'Halloran and Green Party nominee Emma Hoberg on the ballot. 

The New Democrats face an uphill battle in the Foothills, which is widely considered a safe Conservative seat. In the 2021 federal election, NDP candidate Michelle Traxel took 11.1 per cent of the vote, finishing a distant second place to Barlow, who has held the seat for the Tories since 2014 and currently has higher than a 99 per cent chance of winning re-election.