Let The Race Begin – Trio of Candidates Enter the NDP Leadership Contest

Less than a calendar year following the 2023 provincial election, Alberta NDP members are officially back on the campaign trail until June 22. To date, there have been no real surprises with respect to the candidates whom have entered the race, but there have been surprises surrounding other prospective entrants.

Last week, Edmonton-City Centre MLA David Shepherd (who had long been rumoured to be contemplating a leadership bid) announced on social media that he would not be seeking the top job for the Alberta NDP. However, he did confirm that he was, in fact, planning on entering the race.

“Unfortunately, due to ongoing challenges with my health, it’s become clear that I’m currently not in a position to be able to move forward with pursuing the leadership of the Alberta NDP.”

Another frequently speculated contestant has announced that they will not be participating. Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood MLA Janis Irwin told her social media followers “what I hate most is that I feel like I’m letting some of you down. I hope you’ll understand that now is not the time for me. My focus will continue to be on being the best darn MLA I can for the people of Edmonton-Highlands-Norwood.”

There have been strong rumblings that Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse will enter the leadership race in addition to former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. But until those individuals make a firm decision one way or another, we will focus on those who are confirmed as candidates.

We will list the candidates in the order that their respective campaigns launched.

Kathleen Ganley
TeamGanley.ca
Calgary-Mountain View

At 10:00 AM on the first official day of the campaign period, former Justice Minister Kathleen Ganley became the first entrant into the NDP leadership race. Backed by her campaign co-chairs Irfan Sabir (Calgary-Bhullar-McCall) and Shannon Phillips (Lethbridge-West) and a number of other MLAs from across the province, she kicked off her campaign with a media event in downtown Calgary.

She was also the first candidate to “soft-launch” her candidacy just days before Rachel Notley announced her intention to step down as leader of the Alberta NDP.

As the lone Calgary candidate at the time of writing, some suggest that her campaign may have an edge in the city the Alberta NDP will need if it hopes to form government after the next provincial election.

“I think we win Calgary by offering a vision for the future — by offering our vision for an economic future that works for everyone.

Rakhi Pancholi
VoteRakhi.ca
Edmonton-Whitemud

A few short days later, Education Critic Rakhi Pancholi became the second candidate to throw her hat into the ring. Unlike Ganley, Pancholi opted to officially launch her campaign with a video on social media and participating in a number of media interviews, including the Real Talk podcast minutes after launching.

In her launch, she shared her vision about telling Alberta’s story in a new way, and “writing the next chapter” in our province’s story.

She also stepped into the ring with the first major policy proposal of the campaign – proposing that a Pancholi-led government would not pursue a consumer price on carbon. This was a significant departure from the policy book of the former NDP government.

As the only candidate who did not serve in the Premier Notley government from 2015-19, she has a unique lane that allows her to propose change such as the above more easily than her counterparts.

“Growth, and being a big open tent party is part of what I think the Alberta NDP needs to do to represent the views of more Albertans. It’s also the way to win in 2027.”

Sarah Hoffman
SarahHoffman.ca
Edmonton-Glenora

Finally, on Super Bowl Sunday, Sarah Hoffman confirmed that she would be seeking the NDP leadership with her official launch. She, like Ganley, was elected during the “Orange Crush” election of 2015 – going on to serve as deputy premier and as Minister of Health. Hoffman has also been widely considered to be Notley’s right-hand, continuing to serve as deputy leader in opposition.

For many, she is considered to be the “establishment” candidate that would be the closest to a continuation of Notley’s time in office.

Although she did not table her own launch-day policy for members to consider, she did echo the sentiments outlined by Pancholi during her launch. "I think the consumer carbon tax is dead. It died provincially in the last election. The feds took it over. Justin Trudeau played dirty politics with it and picked winners and losers.”

Hoffman’s campaign, as noted by her slogan, will be centred on addressing health, climate, and housing – all subjects that the United Conservative government has faced significant scrutiny over their management of those files from progressive circles.

“I think we should have talked about climate change in the election. That’s an example of something that I think differentiates me from the path we took over the last four years.”

Early Observations/Lane Occupation

It is impossible to predict the outcome of a race after the first week of launches and before all the potential candidates have declared their intention, so we will not attempt to do so here. However, we can take a look at what was said in the early days of the race to see how each of the declared candidates is framing their campaigns.

For Ganley, it would be an oversimplification to say she is the “Calgary candidate”; however, that is a natural assumption for people to make when she is the only person running in Alberta’s largest city. Rather, Ganley wishes her campaign to be framed as one of building an economy for everyday Albertans rather than just the corporate residents.

Alternatively, Pancholi clearly launched as the candidate that will work to grow the party and bring some new ideas that the party may not have considered before. Although she is a second term MLA, she does have the “benefit” of not carrying the baggage that comes with a previous term on the government side of the house – something that gives her more latitude to bring fresh ideas to the table.

Finally, it is difficult to have Hoffman not be the “establishment” candidate. Her proximity to Rachel Notley will likely be her best and worst asset as she will have a challenging time if she tries to distance herself too far from traditional party lines. However, she has already worked to create some space by saying the carbon tax is “done”.

Of course, new candidates could change what lane each individual occupies and how the frame their candidacy, so stay tuned to see how each will adjust to new competitors.