The Race for Premier
On May 19th, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney announced he would resign as leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) triggering a leadership race to select a new Premier and leader ahead of Alberta’s 2023 election.
The UCP Board has now announced the 2022 Leadership Election Rules and Procedures.
Date:
The new Premier and leader of the United Conservative Party will be announced on October 6th, 2022 through a hybrid mail-in ballot and in-person voting system.
Rules:
The deadline for applicants to apply to enter the leadership contest is Wednesday, July 20th.
The entry fee for the race is $150,000 and payable in three installments.
Candidates must be approved by a Leadership Election Committee and meet several stipulations including:
Submit a contestant questionnaire
A credit and criminal record check
Access to a candidates’ social media accounts for review
A nomination petition signed by at least 1000 UCP members, including at least two hundred 200 members from each region of the province (Calgary, Edmonton, Central, North, South)
The first installment of the entry fee ($50,000)
The membership deadline to vote in the election is August 12th.
Mail-in balloting will commence on September 2nd, with ballots due October 3rd.
In-person voting will occur on October 6th at one of the 5 locations in each region of the province (Calgary, Edmonton, Central, North, South)
Voting will be on the basis of one member, one vote by preferential ballot meaning last place candidates will have their secondary preferences awarded to remaining candidates until one candidate has received 50% of first-preference and secondary preference ballots.
Declared Candidates and Undeclared Potential Candidates:
Travis Toews
UCP MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti, former Finance Minister
Brian Jean
UCP MLA for Fort McMurray, former Leader of the Wildrose
Todd Loewen
Independent MLA for Peace River-Notley, former UCP MLA
Rajan Sawhney
UCP MLA for Calgary-North East, former Transportation Minister
Rebecca Schulz
UCP MLA for Calgary-Shaw, former Children’s Services Minister
Leela Aheer
UCP MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore, former Minister of Culture and Tourism
Danielle Smith
Former Wildrose Leader
Bill Rock
· Mayor for the Village of Amisk
Michelle Rempel Garner (Undeclared)
MP for Calgary-Nose Hill
Raj Sherman (Undeclared)
Former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party
Key Considerations:
The high entrance fee will be a barrier for some and may become an insurmountable barrier for candidates who haven’t yet built out a strong base. Candidates like Brian Jean and Danielle Smith who have been campaigning since before May 19th have an advantage. The CPC leadership race has already scooped up Alberta organizers, and teams that are well established are better positioned. While name recognition is important, this leadership election will not be a popularity contest. The candidate who sells the most memberships and gets them out to vote will win. The preferential ballot is also the greatest equalizer. Candidates will be conscious of personal attacks to ensure they are at least the second choice for the supporters of other candidates. With at least four strong female candidates, the number of women running is a boost to the UCP.
Watch for provocative policy proposals on issues like equalization, crime, healthcare, climate change, coal mining, property rights, pipelines, an Alberta police force, and withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan. Candidates will pursue votes from across the province but watch for them to focus on certain groups: rural, newcomer communities, women, Calgary, and, potentially, working-class Albertans.
As the landscape evolves, we will continue to provide insights and report on what matters most to your business. Subscribe to our mailing list to stay informed: