Voters in the Alberta riding of Calgary-Shaw have elected Alberta NDP candidate Kyle Campbell to represent them in the Alberta Legislature.
According to unofficial results posted to the Elections Alberta website as of 10:53 p.m., of the 16,002 votes cast, Kyle Campbell locked up 7,461 of them, compared to the UCP’s Mike Derry garnering 6,879. The Tory Party’s Kyle Joseph was third with 978.
The Alberta NDP said in a news release that voters sent the UCP a message.
“This was a historic win for Alberta’s New Democrats, and the voters of Calgary-Shaw just sent Danielle Smith and the UCP government a strong message tonight that this government is simply not good enough,” said Naheed Nenshi, Leader of the Alberta NDP.
“This was considered a safe Conservative seat, which has been won by them by large margins. Today, the voters have proven that there is no safe UCP seat in Calgary.”
In the 2023 provincial election, Rebecca Schulz defeated the Alberta NDP’s David Cloutier by more than 3,300 votes.
Campbell said that the victory was a testament to the kind of government Albertans want to see moving forward.
“I’m honoured to have been elected to represent the people of Calgary-Shaw, and I’m ready to get to work,” said Kyle Campbell, MLA-elect for Calgary-Shaw.
“Over the past few weeks, I’ve been humbled by the work of the hundreds of volunteers who helped in this campaign. And to the voters of Calgary-Shaw, you welcomed me into your homes and your neighbourhoods. You talked with me about the bills piling up, your struggles to get timely health care, and the long bus rides for your kids to attend school out of your neighbourhoods just so they can get an education.
“You told me what isn’t working. You told me what needs to change. And tonight, you put your trust in me to help fix health care, lower the cost of living, and advocate for the schools our communities so desperately need. I’ll never take that trust for granted. I’m ready to get to work for Calgary-Shaw.”
Results will be official on Sept. 24, according to Elections Alberta.
Calgarians living in the southern communities straddling the west and east quadrants get their say on Sept. 14.
Voters in Calgary-Shaw can cast their ballots today in a provincial byelection, triggered after the previous representative, United Conservative Party MLA Rebecca Schulz, resigned earlier this year.
Polling stations are open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and southern residents living in communities like Shawnessy, Chaparral, Silverado, and Legacy can vote in person at several locations in the quadrant.
Electors must vote at the location assigned to their home address, which they can find online using the interactive map on the Elections Alberta website or by calling +1 (822) 422-8683. Electors must register before voting, and they can do so at any time.
Eligibility includes living in the division and being a Canadian citizen aged 18 or older. All electors must provide proof of identity and physical address, which can be verified by one piece of government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license or identification card.
If an elector does not have a single appropriate ID, they can provide two pieces, both showing the voter’s full name and one showing their current physical address. Additionally, a registered voter in the same voting area with proper identification may also vouch for another person.
Advance voting days, held from Sept. 8 to 12, have already passed, making Monday the last chance for voters to have their say.
According to a new release from Elections Alberta, preliminary numbers show that advance ballots made up just over 16 per cent of the forthcoming votes, leaving 35,357 eligible electors expected to vote today.
Get to know the candidates
Candidate nominations closed on Aug. 27, leaving voters to choose among five key players: Mike Derry for the UCP, Kyle Campbell for the Alberta NDP, Kyle Joseph for the Progressive Tory Party of Alberta, John Roggeveen for the Alberta Liberals, and Rolly Ashdown as an independent.
Derry, a born-and-raised Calgarian, holds a master’s in business administration and spent most of his career in human resources at companies like Telus and Canadian Natural Resources Limited before founding his own HR firm.
Derry’s priorities include affordability, education, health care, and government transparency, according to his campaign website.
Campbell, a fourth-generation Albertan, holds a degree in supply chain management from Brigham Young University and has worked at companies like RBC Insurance and Qopia Financial. He currently serves as the president of the Somerset Residents Association.
Campbell’s priorities include health care and public education, which stemmed from his own experience in being diagnosed with cancer, according to his campaign website.
Joseph, a Mount Royal University alum with a degree in education, currently works as a Grade 6 teacher at the Calgary Board of Education. He is the first person to run under the newly formed and renamed Progressive Tory Party.
Joseph’s priorities, shaped by his respect for democracy, include “accountability, common sense, and practical leadership,” according to his campaign website.
Roggeveen, leader of the Alberta Liberal Party and long-time resident of southeast Calgary, has been self-employed for more than 30 years. He has a background in law, serves as the sole practitioner at his own office, and sits as a chair on the Canadian Bar Association.
Roggeveen’s priorities include affordability, health care, education, accountability, and responsible economic growth, according to his campaign website.
Ashdown served as the reeve and later councillor at Rocky View County, a position that he held until 2017. Since then, he has worked as a realtor and the president of Ashdown Distributors and Consulting Limited. He prioritizes health care and education.
