EDMONTON — A United Conservative Party candidate who compared transgender children in schools to having feces in food is apologizing while staying on to run in the Alberta election.

Jennifer Johnson says in a statement that she has nothing but love and compassion for everyone equally and is embarrassed to have caused hurt with her remarks.

Johnson, who is running in Lacombe-Ponoka, says if she wins the seat in the May 29 vote she will seek counsel on how best to communicate and meaningfully discuss her views.

The NDP has called for UCP Leader Danielle Smith to dismiss Johnson as a candidate for the comments she made last fall that were recently been made public.

In those comments, Johnson said Alberta has a first-rate education system but it’s set against transgender children as young as 14 getting double mastectomies and chemical castrations to help them transition.

Johnson also compared transgender students to feces in cookie batter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 17, 2023.

The Canadian Press