‘Why not?’: Kram hopes a second run at Goodale gets him a victory

Michael Kram is going over familiar territory in this fall’s federal election.

It’s the second time in a row he has gone up against the same candidate in the same riding.

In 2015, Kram ran for the Conservatives in the Regina-Wascana riding and lost by 10,621 votes to Liberal candidate Ralph Goodale. But Kram is back for more.

“Like anything, the second time around should be easier than the first time, and I did get some good experience here in 2015, so I figured, ‘Why not have another crack at it?’ ” Kram said.

Kram said he knew right after the previous election that he wanted to run again.

“I pretty much had my mind made up that if I didn’t win in 2015 I would give it another shot four years down the road,” said Kram.

He said he has been interested in politics since elementary school and remembers thinking that’s what he wanted to do when he grew up.

The sound beating he took at the ballot box in 2015 didn’t deter Kram from taking another shot.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again,” he said. “I think we’re very fortunate to live in a democratic country where people can run for public office, and if people feel that they have something to contribute, then why not?”

Kram said he learned things about campaigning and door-knocking from the previous time. He said the Conservatives haven’t run the same candidate in successive elections in that riding since Goodale won in 1993.

“Instead of having this revolving door of one candidate after another, maybe having the same candidate in place two times around might give us a bit of a leg up,” said Kram.

As for taking on Goodale, who’s practically an institution in Saskatchewan politics, Kram said who he’s up against shouldn’t be a factor.

“If you feel that you have a contribution to make to the democratic process then it shouldn’t really matter what the other candidates are doing or who the other candidates are …,” Kram said. “It’s about meeting with the people and listening to their ideas, so who the other candidates are on the ballot shouldn’t really matter too much.”

It might be hard for Kram to get away from that, though; his campaign office is right across Arcola Avenue from Goodale’s constituency office.