page_title: 2015 Wildrose Party leadership election
section_title: Linda Osinchuk
hierarchical_section_title: 2015 Wildrose Party leadership election / Declared candidates / Linda Osinchuk
caption_attribution_description: English: Linda Osinchuk, Mayor of Strathcona County, Alberta
context_page_description: The 2015 Wildrose Party leadership election was triggered December 17, 2014, following the decision by leader Danielle Smith and eight other MLAs to leave the Wildrose Party and cross the floor to join the ruling Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta. The party announced the next day that it would appoint an interim leader and hold an election to choose a permanent leader in 2015. Former Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament Brian Jean was elected leader over two other candidates on March 28, 2015.
  Under the party's constitution, within 15 days of Smith's resignation, it had to set a date for party members to choose a new permanent leader. Smith tendered her resignation on the morning of December 17, 2014. In a letter to the party's executive, Smith recommended that party members vote on a "reunification resolution" to merge with the PCs as soon as possible, a course of action that the executive rejected.
  The party's constitution also stipulates that the leadership election had to be held between three and nine months after the position becomes open, in this case between March and September 2015.
context_section_description: Background
  Former mayor of Strathcona County (2010-2013), Wildrose nominee for Sherwood Park in the next election, registered nurse by profession.
  Date declared: February 26, 2015
  Support from provincial caucus members:
  Support from federal Members of Parliament:
  Support from former provincial caucus members:
  Other prominent supporters: Wildrose candidates Sharon Smith (Leduc-Beaumont) and Jaye Walter (Spruce Grove-St. Albert)
  Policies: Supports fiscal responsibility but also supports Gay Straight Alliances in schools and inclusion of LGBT people in society.
caption: Osinchuk in 2009
exif: {"Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image Software": "Microsoft Windows Photo Gallery 6.0.6001.18000", "Image DateTime": "2011:01:26 15:51:30", "Image ExifOffset": "2202", "Image Padding": "[]", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "0", "Thumbnail YResolution": "0", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "4420", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "2866", "EXIF ImageUniqueID": "A8276659CC384FB481E0EC9BFE1EDAE3", "EXIF Padding": "[]"}