Alberta’s New Democratic Party has found a new leader in former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi.
A little more than 62,000 members selected Nenshi as the new leader Saturday afternoon, ending a months-long leadership race between Edmonton MLAs Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse and Sarah Hoffman, and Calgary MLA Kathleen Ganley.
Nenshi won the leadership race with 62,746 votes, according to Amanda Freistadt, the Alberta NDP’s chief returning officer, who revealed the results alongside outgoing party leader Rachel Notley at an event in Calgary.
Calahoo Stonehouse received 1,222 votes, Ganley received 5,899 votes and Hoffman received 3,063 votes.
Freistadt said 72,930 members voted in this leadership race, which was a record voting turnout.
Notley announced in January she would step down from her role to make room for a new leader after shepherding the party’s growth into the largest opposition in Alberta’s history.
She said she stayed on months after losing the 2023 election to help ease 19 new MLAs into their jobs.
Notley gave her final speech as party leader Friday at a $350-per-plate provincial fundraiser in Calgary. Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh also attended the event.
In a social media post, Calahoo Stonehouse congratulated Nenshi and assured him of her support and commitment to uniting the party and its caucus to “defeat the UCP.”
“It has been an honour to be the first-ever First Nations person to run for the leadership of the Alberta NDP,” she said.
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“While I may not have won this election, I am incredibly proud to have made history. I know that many First Nations and Indigenous people see this achievement and will be inspired to follow in my footsteps.”
Calahoo Stonehouse said her campaign, rooted in Indigenous teaching, focused on the well-being of Albertans, reaching out to those who “often feel unseen and unheard in politics.”
“As an Indigenous candidate, I did not have the same access to resources as some others, and I believe our party needs to address the high cost of entry to ensure growth and inclusivity,” she said.
“We have so much more to do together, and I am confident that we will form the next government with the issues that matter most on our agenda.”
Hoffman, in her own social media post, said she looks forward to working with Nenshi and the rest of the party to prepare for the next provincial election, which is slated for 2027.
“Many Albertans have told us that they want the next provincial NDP campaign to focus on solutions to the health, climate and housing crises in Alberta,” she said.
“I proudly offer my support and our ideas to Naheed as our work to win the next election starts now.”
Nenshi, 52, was elected mayor of Calgary in 2010 and won three terms before deciding to bow out before the 2021 municipal election.
Nenshi sprang to national relevance after being elected mayor, as he was the first Muslim mayor of a Canadian city and of a large North American city.
In the video announcing his NDP candidacy in March, Nenshi targeted Premier Danielle Smith and her government while contrasting the plight of Albertans in areas of health care, climate-related phenomena and affordability.
In his video announcement, Nenshi said he wanted to “build on the tremendous legacy of Rachel Notley and all of those who worked hard for this party.”
Lori Williams, associate professor of policy studies at Mount Royal University, told Global News prior to the announcement that Nenshi appeared to be the favourite to win.
With a Nenshi win, Williams said he will have to “try to use his connections within the party, the folks he was up against in this leadership race, and try to bring those folks into the fold.”
“His other task is going to be to enlarge the tent to generate a little bit more support for his party and for his vision, something that will be more appealing to a broader range of Albertans,” she said.
— More to come
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