Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi acclaimed as party's candidate for Edmonton seat

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi has been acclaimed as the party's candidate in Edmonton Strathcona. Nenshi didn't face any competition for the nomination and, if elected, would become the third NDP leader to represent the riding.

Former NDP leader Rachel Notley stepped down as the member for Edmonton-Strathcona on Dec. 30, which forces the government to call a byelection by the end of June. The governing United Conservative Party has yet to open a nomination contest in the riding. Notley won almost 80 per cent of votes in Edmonton-Strathcona in the 2023 general election, but her NDP was defeated by Premier Danielle Smith's United Conservatives.

Nenshi, in a statement Wednesday night marking the milestone, expressed gratitude for Notley serving for 16 years as the MLA for an area home to what he called the party's most dedicated activists and longtime members. "The legislature is scheduled to convene in late February for the 2025 budget and break for the summer in late May."