The Alberta NDP leadership race has officially been open for one month and the slate of candidates is remarkable thus far in that the leadership is being sought only by women, all of whom are currently sitting in the Legislature, and all of whom are hoping to define themselves as not only the future of their party, but the next leader of the province.
Two have held onto their seats since first being elected in 2015, two were elected after the orange wave, and two have suggested severing official ties with federal party.
Kathleen Ganley, who was elected in 2015, served as Alberta’s Justice Minister, is running from her home riding in Calgary; Rakhi Pancholi, who was first elected in 2019, is running from Edmonton, along with Jodi Calahoo-Stonehouse, one of Alberta’s first Indigenous MLAs and the province’s first Indigenous woman elected in 2023, and Sarah Hoffman, the former Health Minister and Deputy Premier, who was elected in 2015.
There are also rumours that the race could see two more entrants from each of Alberta’s largest cities — former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi, and Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan in Edmonton.
The future of the Alberta NDP will be decided by its next leader
Though I know some would disagree, I believe Rachel Notley struck a great balance between being an Alberta NDP leader and the Premier of Alberta. She did not have an easy time between oil prices bottoming out, future development being shelved in response, and trying to advocate for the completion of the Trans Mountain Expansion project. She faced opposition from her BC cousins, the federal party, even within her own party — and that’s not including the baked-in opposition from zombie conservatives after their heads exploded at her becoming premier in the first place.
As Leader of the Official Opposition, she led a disciplined caucus to face a second election in which the party fell short of only a few thousand votes needed to form government again. During that election, it became clear that Notley herself wore the downturn that began before she was even elected.
The silver lining in such clarity is that, like many parties before hers, there existed an opportunity to leave the past behind by electing a new leader.
Rarely (because we’ve elected dynasties) has a party gone from opposition in Alberta to form government. In fact, of the six governments in Alberta’s history, only three parties have moved from opposition to majority government: Peter Lougheed’s Progressive Conservatives went from six MLAs to form government in 1971; Rachel Notley’s NDP went from four MLAs to form government in 2015, and; Jason Kenney’s United Conservative Party went from 30 MLAs to form government in 2019. Neither United Farmers of Alberta nor Social Credit parties had any elected MLAs prior to forming government, and only the Alberta NDP had existed in opposition for more than half a century prior to forming government.
Leadership races have their own growing pains
Leadership races have, historically, been closed-off affairs. Around the 1990’s, as one-member-one-vote races became seen as a way to build membership and grow party support, the races themselves became more open to the public, but for a number of years afterwards, the only way you’d know one was coming, being held, or had been held, is if it was covered in the newspaper or on the news.
Then came pocket video-recorders and social media and suddenly, those comments that work very will in a room full of the most ardent supporters were being used to repel the public at large.
I know more than a few conservatives who are just salivating in anticipation of one of the Alberta NDP candidates going “full socialist” to build their attack ad arsenal for the next election.
After three conservative leadership races in Alberta, all ridiculously-engaged eyes are on the Alberta NDP to see who will be the first “nut” to crack.
With the first four candidate launches in the Alberta NDP race, I think it’s safe to say that their focus has been on inclusion. Kathleen Ganley’s pre-launch not-a-launch video focused on not being defined by the UCP. Rakhi Pancholi’s video focused on what being an Albertan meant to her. Sarah Hoffman’s video focused on winning and Jodi Calahoo-Stonehouse launched at a Pow-wow in Lethbridge, bringing focus to her Indigenous heritage.
Each of the candidates has addressed an area that I think is worthy of addressing. The Alberta NDP will have to define itself going forward and decide whether they want to be pre-2015 Alberta NDP — whose prior success was electing 16 MLAs twice — or if they want to be post-2015 Alberta NDP who can form government; because despite what some would like to believe, those are not the same Alberta NDP.
What’s next?
It sounds like Naheed Nenshi will enter the race in a few days and there’s been some opposition to his presence already, but I have to say that his star power is exactly what this race needs. Even the thought of him getting involved has rattled conservatives but, if the Alberta NDP candidates and their supporters would be open to some advice — do not let it rattle you.
I’ve had a pretty decent radar for momentum and as much as I love to see four women vying for the role of Alberta’s next premier, the race is not making waves outside of the ridiculously engaged (and in some cases, not even with those it should). Nenshi will bring those waves and you want to be in a position to ride them rather than crushed by them.
And, before things go too far, as much as I love seeing four women vie for the role of Alberta’s next premier, do not fall into the trap of saying you don’t want to see any men enter the race — the anti-woke army will get far more reach and everything you love about this will be tainted.
One of the strongest stances Nenshi took as Calgary mayor was in refusing to be defined by political affiliation — please do not make that a blight on his tenure. Disagree with what he did as mayor but do not make the case for political affiliation at the municipal levels for the UCP.
Nenshi will bring attention and he will bring memberships.
Your task is to win those new members over with your vision for Alberta.
One last thing…
I would like to talk to some people who are supporting the Alberta NDP. I have created a survey that will take all of two minutes of your time to answer and hopefully some of you will offer to tell me more.
As always, thank you for reading, sharing, and subscribing — your support keeps me going :)
When I ultimately cast my vote, it will be for the leader that can bring voters to the party and form a competent effective government. The unfortunate reality is that in Alberta, the provincial party needs distance from the federal party views to attract that sort of support. If we want to oust the lunatic that currently occupies the premier’s seat then we need to elect a leader who can get us there. And not a leader that will stand for only idealogical purity from the point of view of an ineffectual opposition.