On a late May evening, Alberta's voters gave the United Conservative Party another mandate, and with it Danielle Smith a return to the premier's chair, carried largely by the countryside that has long anchored conservative power. Rachel Notley's NDP fell short of government but cut into Calgary, a city that has leaned blue for generations, suggesting that even strongholds can loosen when the cost of living and the strain on health care weigh on ordinary lives. The result arrives in a province still wrestling with wildfire, distrust of its leaders, and the old question of what a government owes
UCP Secures Majority in Alberta as NDP Makes Gains in Calgary
Ten Alberta communities were under wildfire evacuation orders on election day, and displaced residents were given alternate voting options.
The NDP fell short of power but made real inroads in Calgary
Mark
Why does Calgary matter so much in this result?
Mimi
It's been a conservative stronghold, so NDP gains there show the map is shifting, even though the UCP still won. Milliken lost Calgary-Currie to Janet Eremenko.
Luke
Worth being careful, though. The report says the NDP made inroads and was challenging Shandro and Copping. It doesn't confirm those races were lost.
Mark
And the majority itself?
Mimi
Rural Alberta did the work. Polls had suggested a cushion of about 40 seats toward the 44 needed.
Luke
That's a poll-based estimate, not a final count. The projection comes from The Canadian Press, and the report says more was coming.
Mark
What about the wildfires?
Mimi
Ten communities were under evacuation orders. Elections Alberta allowed special ballots for evacuees and put mobile stations in evacuation centres.
Luke
We don't know from this report how many evacuees voted or whether it affected turnout. Only the advance record, 758,540, is given.
Mark
And Jennifer Johnson?
Mimi
She won Lacombe-Ponoka. Smith said she wouldn't sit in caucus, then spoke of redemption.
Luke
So her status is unresolved. No decision is reported.
O Pulso
- The count dragged past two hours after polls closed, leaving a province waiting in suspense while hand counts ground forward.
- Calgary's south end, once safely conservative, showed cracks as NDP candidates unseated cabinet ministers and deputy premiers.
- Rural ridings held firm for the UCP, providing the cushion that pushed Smith's party toward a majority of the legislature.
- Ten communities under evacuation orders turned to special ballots and mobile voting stations, so displaced families could still have their say.
- Questions about Jennifer Johnson's past remarks and Smith's pledges on taxes and health care now hang over what comes next.
On a late May evening, Alberta's voters gave the United Conservative Party another mandate, and with it Danielle Smith a return to the premier's chair, carried largely by the countryside that has long anchored conservative power. Rachel Notley's NDP fell short of government but cut into Calgary, a city that has leaned blue for generations, suggesting that even strongholds can loosen when the cost of living and the strain on health care weigh on ordinary lives. The result arrives in a province still wrestling with wildfire, distrust of its leaders, and the old question of what a government owes the people it serves.
The Canadian Press has projected that Alberta's United Conservative Party will form a majority government, with Danielle Smith returning as premier on the strength of rural support. Rachel Notley's NDP did not win power, but it made real gains in Calgary, a city long considered a conservative stronghold.
The night was slow to resolve. More than two hours after polls closed, no winner had been named, and Elections Alberta said processing the votes simply takes time. The math had been clear from the start: the NDP needed to flip twenty seats, and the UCP's rural and small-town base gave it a cushion it was unlikely to lose.
In Calgary the NDP pushed hardest. Cabinet ministers who had held safe seats found themselves in real trouble, and Nicholas Milliken lost Calgary-Currie to Janet Eremenko. Notley held Edmonton-Strathcona for a fifth time, and her party was on track to sweep the capital.
The campaign was shaped by everyday pressures: high prices, a shortage of family doctors, and long emergency room waits. Both parties promised to protect public health care, though they offered sharply different plans on taxes. Trust was also central, and Smith carried the weight of past comments about COVID-19 vaccines and a mid-campaign ethics finding about her pressure on a justice minister.
The election unfolded during a record wildfire spring, with ten communities under evacuation orders. Elections Alberta added evacuation as a reason for special ballots and set up mobile voting in evacuation centres. Advance voting had already set a record.
One question remains open. Jennifer Johnson won Lacombe-Ponoka despite past remarks that Smith said would keep her out of the UCP caucus, though Smith later spoke of redemption and second chances. Where Johnson sits, and whether the promises on taxes and health care are kept, will shape the months ahead.
The Canadian Press has projected that Alberta's United Conservative Party will form a majority government, returning Danielle Smith as premier on the strength of overwhelming rural support. The NDP, led by Rachel Notley, fell short of power but made real inroads in Calgary, long a conservative stronghold.
The call came slowly. More than two hours after polls closed at 8 p.m., no winner had been named. Elections Alberta said in a statement that it was seeing no issues but understood people were eager for results, adding that processing the votes takes time and that the hand count of the day's ballots was under way.
The math was clear going in. The UCP won 63 seats under then-leader Jason Kenney in 2019, against 24 for Notley's NDP, in an 87-seat legislature. To win a majority this time, the NDP needed to flip 20 seats, which meant holding Edmonton, taking most of Calgary, finding help in smaller cities, and unseating dozens of incumbents. Polls suggested the UCP would keep near-total dominance in rural areas and small centres, a cushion of roughly 40 seats toward the 44 required for a majority.
Smith won her own seat in Brooks-Medicine Hat, and several cabinet ministers were returned: Education Minister Adriana LaGrange, Agriculture Minister Nate Horner, Indigenous Relations Minister Rick Wilson and Affordability and Utilities Minister Matt Jones. Notley won Edmonton-Strathcona for a fifth time, and her party was on track to sweep the capital.
Calgary was where the NDP pushed hardest. Early results showed promise in several constituencies outside the UCP's traditional core in the city's south end. 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, as did Smith's two deputy premiers, Kaycee Madu in Edmonton-South West and Nathan Neudorf in Lethbridge-East.
The month-long campaign was dominated by the economy and health care. Albertans are contending with high prices for consumer goods, a shortage of family doctors and long emergency room waits. Smith pledged to keep Alberta the lowest-tax jurisdiction in Canada, promising a law requiring a referendum before any personal or corporate income tax increase, plus tax changes for people earning more than $60,000 a year, at a cost of $1 billion annually. The NDP also vowed to keep the lowest-tax status, ending the small business tax and raising the corporate rate to 11 per cent from eight, which it said would fund health and education while balancing the books. It also promised legislation to counter UCP policies that raised utility, auto insurance, fee and tuition costs. Both leaders promised to protect the publicly funded health system and build more primary care teams, pairing physicians with nurses and therapists.
Trust was a central issue. Polls showed Notley viewed more favourably than her party, and the reverse for Smith. Smith was dogged by earlier comments 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.
The election also unfolded during a record-breaking wildfire spring. Ten communities were under evacuation orders on Monday. Elections Alberta added evacuation as an eligible reason for a special ballot and set up mobile voting stations in evacuation centres. Advance polls had already set a record of 758,540 votes, passing the previous mark of more than 700,000 in 2019.
One result leaves an open question. Jennifer Johnson won Lacombe-Ponoka 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. Where Johnson sits, and whether the tax and health care promises are delivered, are the things to watch next.
Citações Notáveis
We are not seeing any issues at this time, but understand that people are keen to see the results.— Elections Alberta statement
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em ElliotLakeToday.com ↗
Politics & Governance