Lawyer and military veteran Doug Racine announced his intention to seek the provincial NDP nomination in Saskatchewan Rivers on Tuesday.
Racine served 12 years in the army before leaving in 1990 to complete a law degree. He practiced law for 25 years, with his home office on the Muskeg Lake Cree Urban Reserve in Saskatoon.
In a press release announcing his intentions, Racine said he wants to help make Saskatchewan a place future generations can be proud to live in.
“Under the Saskatchewan Party’s watch, healthcare has crumbled, (and) our children’s education has taken a second seat to the corporate buddies of the Sask. Party, but the biggest issue in this election might very well be ‘honesty and integrity,’” Racine said. “The SUP and SP seem to be in short supply of both—enough is enough.”
Racine worked primarily in Indigenous law, serving as legal council on several duty to consult matters involving resource extraction. He is also the founder of Aboriginal Law Group. He resides in the riding with his wife, University of Regina professor Cindy Hanson.
In the press release, Racine said NDP support runs deep in his family, with his grandmother speaking fondly of attending Tommy Douglas’ church and working on his election campaigns.
Before joining the army, Racine was a registered hunting guide who spent time on the trap line with his father, a Metis man from the Turtle Mountains in Manitoba.
The NDP have scheduled a nomination meeting for Saskatchewan Rivers on Wednesday, July 24 at the Nordale Hall in Prince Albert. No other candidates have declared their intention to seek the party’s nomination.
Saskatchewan Rivers is currently held by former Saskatchewan United Party (SUP) leader Nadine Wilson. RM of Prince Albert reeve Eric Schmalz was acclaimed as the Saskatchewan Party candidate in July 2023.
The 2024 provincial election will be held on or before Oct. 28, 2024.
