On the evening of May 29, 2023, Alberta's voters gathered in a province long shaped by its rural heartland, and the ballots told a familiar story with a new edge. The United Conservative Party, led by Danielle Smith, was projected to hold a majority, carried by farms, small towns, and the smaller centres where its support has long run deepest. Yet in Calgary, a city that has leaned conservative for generations, the New Democrats made real ground, unsettling the calm certainty of a few cabinet seats and hinting at a shifting urban mood. It is the kind of election that reminds us a province is n
UCP Secures Majority in Alberta as NDP Gains Ground in Calgary
Ten communities were under evacuation orders during record-breaking wildfires, and displaced residents were given alternate voting options.
No winner had been called more than two hours after polls closed
Mark
So the UCP won a majority. What's the headline underneath that?
Mimi
That it was a split province. Rural Alberta carried Danielle Smith, while the NDP made inroads in Calgary and was on track to sweep Edmonton.
Mark
The NDP needed 20 seats. Was that realistic?
Mimi
It was a steep climb. The UCP had 63 seats to the NDP's 24 in 2019, and polls gave the UCP a cushion of up to about 40 rural seats toward the 44 needed.
Luke
Worth noting that cushion was a polling estimate, not a result. And the source describes the NDP's Calgary gains as early results and "on track" in places, so I'd hold off on final seat counts. They aren't in this report.
Mark
Cabinet ministers were in trouble, weren't they?
Mimi
Nicholas Milliken lost Calgary-Currie to Janet Eremenko. Shandro, Copping, Madu and Neudorf faced tough races, but the report doesn't say how those ended.
Luke
Right, "facing stiff challenges" is not a loss. Only Milliken's defeat is confirmed.
Mark
And the wildfires?
Mimi
Ten communities were under evacuation orders. Elections Alberta added evacuation as a reason for special ballots and put mobile voting in evacuation centres.
Luke
Unknown is how many displaced people actually voted. The record advance vote of 758,540 is confirmed, but turnout on the day was only expected to be strong.
Mark
What about Jennifer Johnson?
Mimi
Smith said she wouldn't sit in caucus, then spoke of redemption and second chances. Her future is unclear.
El Pulso
- Polls closed at 8 p.m., and hours passed before a single winner was called as Elections Alberta worked through a hand count under pressure to deliver results.
- The NDP needed to flip 20 seats in an 87-seat legislature, a steep climb that demanded sweeping Edmonton, taking much of Calgary, and unseating cabinet ministers.
- Cabinet ministers Nicholas Milliken and others found themselves fighting for their seats, with Milliken losing Calgary-Currie to the NDP's Janet Eremenko.
- Wildfires forced ten communities into evacuation on election day, and displaced voters scrambled for alternate locations, mobile stations, and special ballots.
- The UCP secured its majority, but the unresolved fate of winning candidate Jennifer Johnson, whose past remarks drew an apology, leaves a lingering question over caucus unity.
On the evening of May 29, 2023, Alberta's voters gathered in a province long shaped by its rural heartland, and the ballots told a familiar story with a new edge. The United Conservative Party, led by Danielle Smith, was projected to hold a majority, carried by farms, small towns, and the smaller centres where its support has long run deepest. Yet in Calgary, a city that has leaned conservative for generations, the New Democrats made real ground, unsettling the calm certainty of a few cabinet seats and hinting at a shifting urban mood. It is the kind of election that reminds us a province is not one place but many, each weighing its own worries about money, health care, and trust.
More than two hours after Alberta's polls closed on the night of May 29, 2023, no winner had been called. Elections Alberta said it was moving as fast as it could and was conducting a hand count of the day's ballots. When the call finally came, The Canadian Press projected a United Conservative Party majority, with Danielle Smith's party riding a wave of rural support across the province.
The NDP, led by Rachel Notley, made real inroads in Calgary, a city long considered a conservative stronghold. Several UCP cabinet ministers faced hard races, and Nicholas Milliken lost Calgary-Currie to the NDP's Janet Eremenko. For the New Democrats, the math had always been steep: they needed to flip 20 seats in an 87-seat legislature, hold Edmonton, and take much of Calgary. Notley herself won Edmonton-Strathcona for a fifth time.
The campaign was shaped by the economy and health care, with Albertans facing high prices, a shortage of family doctors, and long emergency room waits. Both parties promised to keep Alberta's low-tax status, though they proposed very different paths to pay for public services. Trust also weighed heavily, as Smith was dogged by past remarks about COVID-19 vaccines and a mid-campaign finding that she had undermined the rule of law.
Record advance voting and a wildfire season that forced ten communities into evacuation shaped the day itself. Elections Alberta opened alternate voting locations and mobile stations for displaced residents.
One question remains open. Jennifer Johnson won Lacombe-Ponoka after apologizing for past comments about transgender students, and whether she will sit in the UCP caucus is still to be decided.
More than two hours after Alberta's polls closed at 8 p.m. on May 29, 2023, no winner had been called. Elections Alberta said in a statement that it was moving as fast as it could, that it saw no problems, and that it understood people were keen for results. The agency explained that processing takes time and that a hand count of the day's ballots was under way. When the call came, The Canadian Press projected a United Conservative Party majority government.
Leader Danielle Smith and her party won on a wave of rural support, but the NDP made real inroads in Calgary, long a conservative stronghold. Smith held her own seat in Brooks-Medicine Hat. Other cabinet members were returned too: Education Minister Adriana LaGrange, Agriculture Minister Nate Horner, Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson, and Affordability and Utilities Minister Matt Jones. NDP Leader Rachel Notley won Edmonton-Strathcona for a fifth time, and her party was on track to sweep the capital.
The arithmetic had been hard for the NDP from the start. It needed to flip 20 seats in the 87-seat legislature. In 2019, under then-leader Jason Kenney, the UCP had won 63 seats to the NDP's 24. Polls suggested the UCP would keep near-total dominance in rural areas and smaller centres, giving it a cushion of roughly 40 seats toward the 44 needed for a majority. For the NDP to win, it had to hold Edmonton, take most of Calgary, find help in smaller cities, and unseat scores of incumbents, cabinet ministers among them.
Calgary showed the NDP's promise. Early results were encouraging in several constituencies outside the south end of the city, where UCP support is traditionally strongest. Nicholas Milliken, the minister responsible for mental health and addiction, lost Calgary-Currie to the NDP's Janet Eremenko. Justice Minister Tyler Shandro in Calgary-Acadia and Health Minister Jason Copping in Calgary-Varsity faced stiff challenges. Smith's two deputy premiers were also in tough races: Kaycee Madu in Edmonton-South West and Nathan Neudorf in Lethbridge-East.
Turnout was expected to be strong. Advance polls set a record with 758,540 votes cast, beating the previous record of more than 700,000 set in 2019. The vote also came during a record-breaking spring for Alberta wildfires, and ten communities were under evacuation orders on election day. Elections Alberta opened alternate voting locations for displaced residents, added evacuation as an eligible reason for a special ballot, and placed mobile voting stations in evacuation centres.
The month-long campaign was dominated by the economy and health care. Albertans were dealing with high prices for consumer goods, a shortage of family doctors, and long emergency room waits. Smith promised to keep Alberta the lowest-tax jurisdiction in Canada, to legislate a referendum before any personal or corporate income tax increase, and to cut taxes for people earning over $60,000 a year, at a cost of $1 billion annually. The NDP also promised to keep the lowest-tax status. It pledged to end the small business tax and raise the corporate rate from eight to 11 per cent, which it said would fund health and education while balancing the books. It also promised legislation to counter UCP policies that raised the cost of utilities, auto insurance, fees, and tuition. Both leaders pledged to keep the public health system and expand primary care teams, with physicians working alongside nurses and therapists.
Trust shaped the race. Polls showed Notley was viewed more favourably than her party, while the reverse was true for Smith. Smith was dogged by past remarks comparing people who took the COVID-19 vaccine to credulous followers of Adolf Hitler. Mid-campaign, the province's ethics commissioner concluded she undermined the rule of law by pressuring her justice minister to end the criminal case against a COVID-19 protester.
One result remains unsettled. Jennifer Johnson won Lacombe-Ponoka for the UCP after apologizing for last year's comments comparing transgender students to feces. Smith had said Johnson would not sit in the UCP caucus, but later said she believes in redemption and second chances. Whether Johnson joins caucus is the question to watch.
Citas Notables
We are not seeing any issues at this time, but understand that people are keen to see the results.— Elections Alberta statement
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