Former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi confirmed Monday he will seek leadership for Alberta’s New Democratic Party, changing the trajectory of his campaign to replace Rachel Notley.
Nenshi’s candidacy sparks political rumors in Alberta. More than 1 month.
In early February, the 52-year-old said in a statement to CBC News that he was “hearing many of the arguments from party members and other Albertans” and suggested he would say more in the coming weeks.
In an interview with CBC News on Monday, Nenshi said he was entering the election based on concerns that the ruling United Conservative Party was “not just incompetent, but actually immoral and dangerous.”
He said too many Albertans can’t find a doctor and classrooms are overcrowded, and suggested the UCP could only “pick a fight and waste money.”
“They’re crushing the vulnerable and leaving us completely unprepared for a changing world,” he said in an interview with CBC’s Scott Dippel.
“Ideally, we need to build an Alberta that is a beacon of hope for people around the world.”
Nenshi joins a field of five candidates, including Edmonton NDP MLA Jody Carahoo Stonehouse, sarah hoffman and Rakhi Pancholias well as Calgary MLA. Kathleen Ganley and leaders who work long hours. Gil McGowan.
Nenshi, a former business professor at Calgary’s Mount Royal University with a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University, has achieved an unlikely success. Come-from-behind victory in 2010 He participated in the Calgary mayoral election and served three terms as mayor until 2021.
He has long been known for his trademark purple color, a mix of liberal red and conservative blue. He enters the NDP leadership race as something of an outsider, given his long-professed aversion to partisan politics.
But he said his values and those of the Alberta NDP are closely aligned, suggesting they are fundamentally Albertan values.
He admitted he was not deeply rooted in the party, but said his perspective could help the party overcome the factors that hindered its success in the last election.
“I want to bring back a time of optimism, a sense that the NDP represents a better Alberta, an Alberta for all of us. This is my campaign platform,” he said.
“But really, it’s not just the feeling of being constantly under attack, it’s the joy and the pride and the bunker mentality in Alberta and the need to protect what we have instead of opening ourselves up to even.” I feel like we have to create a better future. ”
Still, Nenshi said he believes the entire structure of the party, including its relationship with the federal NDP, needs to be modernized, adding that the costs of membership in the party far outweigh the benefits. added.
However, he added that such decisions would be left to party members.
“This party is a formidable political force. We don’t need a savior. I’m not here to save the party. Last time, 450,000 Albertans voted for the party.”
“It is no longer a small branch of the Federalist Party that needs its support.”
The Alberta NDP has long had a strong support base in Edmonton. When the NDP won, the party had a majority of seats in Calgary; 2015 electionBy 2019, it had almost disappeared from message boards.
The party’s support expanded in Calgary in 2023, and political observers understand that expansion is a key priority in the next election.
Announced by Notley She will step down as NDP leader when party members elect a replacement in mid-January. According to the rules of the leadership contest, which begins on February 5, candidates wishing to run must enter the race by this Friday.
Members must purchase or renew their membership by April 22 to vote in the race. The new party leader will be announced on June 22nd.
This will continue in the future.
