Tag: Alberta Election 2027

School trustee Angela Sommers running for NDP nomination in Red Deer-North

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date July 19, 2026

Public school trustee Angela Sommers is expected to be nominated as the NDP candidate in Red Deer-North at a July 30 nomination meeting. Sommers was first elected to the board of trustees of the Red Deer Public School Board in 2021.

The riding has been represented by UCP MLA Adriana LaGrange since 2019. LaGrange was re-elected in 2023 with 57.4 per cent of the vote. Her 2023 NDP opponent, Jaelene Tweedle, was elected to Red Deer City Council in 2025.

The NDP will nominate Michelle Baer in the neighbouring Red Deer-South riding on July 25. Baer is a former city lawyer who ran for the NDP the riding in 2023.

Nenshi will run in Calgary, Trisha Estabrooks expected to run for NDP nomination in Edmonton-Strathcona

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date July 16, 2026

Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi and Trisha Estabrooks at the NDP’s annual Art Walk event on Whyte Avenue in July 2026 (source: Trisha Estabrooks / Facebook)

It was expected and NDP leader Naheed Nenshi has just confirmed it. Nenshi will run in a Calgary riding when the next provincial election is called. The NDP leader and former Calgary mayor won a by-election in Edmonton-Strathcona in June 2025 to replace former MLA and premier Rachel Notley but he had yet to officially announce his plans for the next election.

In a statement published on social media today, Nenshi said:

Today, I’m letting you know of a decision I’ve made. While I’ve been thrilled every day to serve as your MLA, I will be seeking election in a Calgary riding in the next general election.

This will open up Edmonton-Strathcona for a new representative from this beautiful community. I am informing you today so that the incredible constituency association in this riding has time for a healthy and robust nomination process to select a candidate and a future MLA worthy of representing you. Interested candidates can express their interest now and more details on the nomination process and dates will be coming soon.

Former school trustee Trisha Estabrooks is expected to announced her plans to run for the NDP nomination in Edmonton-Strathcona at a July 17 press conference at Frank’s Community Pub. The riding has been held by the NDP since 1997 and from 1986 to 1993 before that.

Alberta Foundation for the Arts chair Cynthia Moore running for Calgary-Elbow UCP nomination

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date July 16, 2026

Premier Danielle Smith and Cynthia Moore in 2025 (source: Cynthia P. Moore / Facebook)

Former United Conservative Party president Cynthia Moore has launched her campaign for her party’s nomination in the Calgary-Elbow riding in the next provincial election.

Moore currently serves as chair of the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, a role she was appointed to by the UCP government in 2024, and as chair of the Real Estate Council of Alberta. She previously worked as an executive of the Kahanoff Foundation.

Moore was UCP president from 2021 until 2023 — a tumultuous time in the governing party’s history that saw rank and file members revolt against Premier Jason Kenney’s leadership and rocket Danielle Smith into the Premier’s Office.

Alberta Politics

Former trustee Pamela Rath running for UCP nomination in Calgary-Beddington

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date July 2, 2026

Former Catholic school trustee and past UCP candidate Pamela Rath has launched her campaign for the UCP nomination in Calgary-Beddington.

The Calgary-Beddington riding is currently represented by NDP MLA Amanda Chapman, who defeated UCP MLA Josephine Pon by 543 votes in the 2023 provincial election.

Rath served as a trustee with the Calgary Catholic School District from 2017 until her resignation in December 2022 for “personal and family matters.” Her resignation came a few months after she was censured by her trustee colleagues after being found to be in violation of the board’s code of conduct, though the nature of the alleged misconduct was never made public.

It’s Kyle Campbell vs. Mike Derry in Calgary-Shaw by-election

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date July 2, 2026

Campbell will face United Conservative Party candidate Mike Derry, who surprised many political watchers last week when he defeated City Councillor Dan McLean in the party’s nomination vote.

With 507 total ballots cast in the UCP membership vote in Calgary-Shaw, Derry earned 286 votes to McLean’s 221 votes. Fifty-three per cent of party members in the riding turned out to vote at the nomination meeting.

Alberta NDP nominate Kyle Campbell as their candidate in Calgary-Shaw by-election

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date June 28, 2026

Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi and Calgary-Shaw NDP candidate Kyle Campbell in a campaign video released by the Alberta NDP (screenshot: Kyle Campbell / Facebook)

Campbell will face UCP’s Mike Derry in race to replace Rebecca Schulz

The Alberta NDP have nominated Kyle Campbell to run as the opposition party’s candidate in the upcoming Calgary-Shaw by-election to choose a new MLA following Rebecca Schulz’s resignation last month.

The by-election in this southwest Calgary riding will be an uphill battle for the NDP but, whenever it’s called in the next five months, it will take place during one of the most unpredictable periods in Alberta politics in recent memory.

There is no shortage of issues of the NDP to focus on in this by-election and it looks like health care and affordability will be top of mind for Campbell as he hits the doors.

Read all about it on the Daveberta Substack

Tags Acute Care Alberta, Alberta Election 2027, Alberta Election Candidate Nominations, Alberta Health Services, Alberta NDP, Alberta Separation Referendum, Alberta Separatism, Amanda Chapman, Brooks Arcand-Paul, Calgary-Acadia, Calgary-Beddington, Calgary-Bow, Calgary-Lougheed, Calgary-Mountain View, Calgary-Shaw, Calgary-Shaw by-election, Calgary-West, Camrose, Chestermere-Strathmore, Chris Kish, Craig Chandler, Dan McLean, Danielle Smith, Darrell Komick, Dodgy Contracts Scandal, Don Braid, Edmonton-Decore, Edmonton-West Henday, Erin Averbukh, Jason Stephan, Jeevan Mangat, Jeff Davison, Jeromy Farkas, Josephine Pon, Kyle Campbell, Leduc-Beaumont, Marie Renaud, Michelle Baer, Mike Derry, Mike Jamieson, Naheed Nenshi, Pamela Rath, Progressive Tory Party of Alberta, Rebecca Schulz, Red Deer-South, Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre, Sharif Haji, Sonya Sharp, St. Albert, United Conservative Party, Wildrose Independence Party

Alberta Politics

NDP nominates MLA David Eggen and David Shepherd for re-election

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date June 22, 2026

The longest serving MLA in the Alberta Legislature is hoping to extend his winning streak by another four years. NDP MLA David Eggen was selected to run for re-election in Edmonton-North West at a nomination meeting on June 16.

Eggen has represented that Edmonton riding since 2019 and previously represented Edmonton-Calder from 2004 to 2008 and 2012 to 2019. He was Minister of Education for the entire four years of the NDP’s time in government from 2015 to 2019 and currently services as chair of the NDP Opposition Caucus and Advanced Education critic.

The high level of churn in Alberta’s recent provincial elections has meant that not many MLAs make it to five-terms like Eggen has.

NDP MLA Amanda Chapman running for re-election in Calgary-Beddington

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date June 14, 2026

NDP MLA Amanda Chapman was nominated to run for re-election in Calgary-Beddington at a nomination meeting yesterday.

Chapman was first elected in 2023 after defeating UCP MLA Josephine Pon in a close race.

More NDP nominations are coming up soon:

June 16: MLA David Eggen will be nominated in Edmonton-North West and MLA David Shepherd will be nominated in Edmonton-City Centre.
June 24: Sarah Elmeligi will be nominated in Banff-Kananaskis.
June 25: MLA Marie Renaud will be nominated in St. Albert and Sharif Haji will be nominated in Edmonton-Decore.
June 26: Kyle Campbell will be nominated in Calgary-Shaw ahead of an expected by-election.
June 28: MLA Brooks Arcand-Paul will be nominated in Edmonton-West Henday.

Rebecca Schulz resigns, UCP and NDP set nomination dates for Calgary-Shaw by-election

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date June 3, 2026

Rebecca Schulz speaking at the United Conservative Party Leaders Dinner in Calgary in 2025 (source: Rebecca Schulz / Facebook)

A by-election in Calgary-Shaw is imminent following the resignation of United Conservative Party MLA Rebecca Schulz, who stepped down last month after representing the riding since 2019. Schulz served as Minister of Environment and Protected Areas until her resignation from cabinet last December.

The UCP nomination contest is now set for June 24 but the race got one candidate smaller this week after Stewart Jeanes was told by the UCP that he will not be allowed to run after his application was deemed incomplete.

Jeanes’ candidacy in the Calgary-Shaw nomination contest was recently endorsed by Mitch Sylvestre, the Alberta separatist leader and UCP constituency president from Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul who led the Stay Free Alberta petition drive to leave Canada.

NDP MLA Kyle Kasawski running for re-election in Sherwood Park

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 27, 2026

Sherwood Park NDP MLA Kyle Kasawski (source: Kyle Kasawski / Facebook)

Danielle Smith’s Alberta separation referendum looms over party nominations for next election

MLA Kyle Kasawski was nominated to run for re-election in Sherwood Park by Alberta NDP members at a meeting last weekend in the large suburban hamlet east of Edmonton.

Kasawski currently serves as the opposition’s Affordability and Utilities critic role has been one of the strongest additions to the NDP opposition bench since 2023.

Kasawski has been vocal in his opposition to Alberta separatism and called on Premier Danielle Smith to speak out against foreign interference.

Look who’s running in Alberta’s next provincial election

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 20, 2026

Alberta Legislature Building (source: Dave Cournoyer / 2011)

Longtime Daveberta readers will be familiar with my lists tracking party nomination and election candidates ahead of elections in Alberta.

I had planned to launch the list of candidates for the next provincial election when the Electoral Boundaries Commission final report was supposed to have been adopted this spring but, with the United Conservative Party tossing out the commission’s final report and appointing its own MLA committee to redraw the new riding map, I’ve decided not to wait.

Visit the Daveberta Substack to see the full list of candidates running in Alberta’s next provincial election

Tags Advantage Party of Alberta, Alberta Election 2027, Alberta Election Candidate Nominations, Alberta Independence Party, Alberta Liberal Party, Alberta NDP, Danielle Smith, Green Party of Alberta, Naheed Nenshi, Progressive Tory Party of Alberta, United Conservative Party, Wildrose Independence Party

Alberta Politics

NDP MLA Janis Irwin running for re-election in Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date May 20, 2026

Alberta NDP MLA Janis Irwin accepts her party's nomination for re-election in Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood (source: Janis Irwin / Facebook)

Popular MLA Janis Irwin is running for re-election and was nominated as the Alberta NDP candidate in Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood on May 3. The second-term MLA is the NDP’s housing critic and is a crowd favourite among Daveberta readers who for six years in a row have voted her Alberta’s Best MLA.

Irwin was first elected in the central Edmonton NDP stronghold in 2019 and was re-elected in 2023 with 71.4 per cent of the vote. Parts of the Highlands-Norwood riding in its various configurations over the decades have been represented by NDP MLAs in all but four years since 1982.

Alberta NDP’s path to victory still goes through Calgary

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date April 25, 2026

Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley and former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi (source: Rachel Notley / Twitter)

Alberta NDP supporters are fond of saying their party would have won enough seats to form government if a few thousand votes had shifted their way in Calgary on May 29, 2023.

Putting aside that’s basically the same as saying “we would have won if more people voted for us,” it does reinforce just how big of a role that city’s voters played in the last provincial election — and how much they will matter again when Albertans go to the polls in 2027.

The last Alberta election was pretty darn close

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date April 24, 2026

UCP leader Danielle Smith on election night in Calgary (source: Danielle Smith / Facebook)

Alberta has a well-earned reputation as the land of historically large majority governments because every election since 1905 has resulted in a majority government — some of them huge. But the results of the last provincial election were pretty darn close in comparison.

The province-wide vote put Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party ahead of Rachel Notley’s NDP by 8 points, but that margin is deceiving. The UCP’s province-wide lead was largely a result of the party’s huge margins of victory in rural and small city ridings outside of Calgary and Edmonton. The vote results in that election’s twenty closest races — fifteen which were located in Calgary — were much, much closer.

Worried about gerrymandering? Pay attention to the closest races from Alberta’s 2023 election

Post author By Dave Cournoyer
Post date April 23, 2026

A map of the ridings with the closest races won by the UCP (blue) and NDP (orange) in the 2023 Alberta provincial election (map tool: CanadianPolling.ca)

The United Conservative Party government has moved to take greater control of how the electoral boundaries for Alberta’s next provincial election will be drawn. Premier Danielle Smith’s UCP government voted to toss out of majority report of the bipartisan Electoral Boundaries Commission this week and create a new process where an advisory panel reporting to an MLA committee will redraw Alberta’s new electoral map.