It’s been more than a week since Albertans shocked the rest of the country and replaced the Progressive Conservative government with New Democrats.
With few voters willing to believe the polls, Albertans were amazed on election night as they watched the ridings pile up for the NDP and the PCs almost eliminated after 44 years in government.
When the votes were counted, the NDP, led by Rachel Notley, won 53 seats, the Wildrose 21, PC 10, Liberals 1 and the Alberta Party 1.
The once mighty PC party started the election with 70 seats, while Wildrose, under new leader Brian Jean, increased from three following a mass defection of 11 members to the PC before Christmas.
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Before the night was over, premier Jim Prentice resigned as PC leader and as MLA for the riding he had just won. Ric McIvor has been named interim party leader.
Notley, the charismatic leader of the NDP, caught fire with voters early in the election, asking Albertans to vote for change. They started the campaign with four sitting MLAs.
“I think we may have made a little bit of history tonight,” she said during her acceptance speech May 5. “I believe that change has finally come to Alberta.”
Notley becomes the province’s 17th premier and its first NDP premier.
The NDP didn’t just win ridings in its stronghold of Edmonton. It also won 11 rural ridings and 13 in Calgary. The party also won all the smaller city ridings of Red Deer, Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.
The PCs won only two rural ridings: Grande Prairie and Vermilion Lloydminster. The PCs popular vote dropped to 28 percent from 44 percent in 2012, the Wildrose popular vote dropped from 35 percent to 24 percent and the NDP popular vote increased from 10 percent to 40 percent.
Voter turnout was the highest in 22 years at 58 percent, up from 41 percent in 2008 and 54 percent in 2012.
After 44 years with the same government in Alberta, it will take time for Notley to be sworn in as premier and appoint her cabinet. A team will start work immediately to create a new budget and highlight the party’s priorities and election promises.
A new budget will likely be introduced in early to mid-June and the legislature could sit into late June or July.
Jean has promised to work with Notley on issues they agree on, such as eliminating corporate and union donations to political parties.
Liberal leader David Swann was re-elected in his Calgary riding but is the only Liberal left in the legislature.
As well, Greg Clark became the province’s first Alberta Party MLA.
