Alberta’s 44-year-old Progressive Conservative political dynasty crumbled Tuesday as early polls propelled New Democrat leader Rachel Notley and dozens of new MLAs into a majority government.
It marks first time since 1971 that Albertans have handed the reigns of power to a new party. The Notley-led New Democrats will be only the fifth political party to govern Alberta since 1905, in a province that has a history of handing massive majorities to a single party and then rejecting them en masse.
As of 9 p.m., the NDP were elected or leading in 53 of 87 seats. The Wildrose, fronted by new leader Brian Jean, were ahead in 20 ridings. The Progressive Conservatives were looking at the opposition benches with 13 seats. The Liberal party appeared to be holding a single seat.
PC leader Jim Prentice dissolved the legislature with a massive PC majority when he triggered the election on April 7th – a year ahead of Alberta’s fixed election date schedule.
Tuesday’s results are a massive reversal of the legislature from just four weeks earlier, when the PCs dominated with 70 seat , a majority that had ballooned in late 2014 after former Wildrose leader Danielle Smith’s defection to the government benches with 11 Wildrose MLAs.
—- That left only 15 people on the opposition benches, including five Wildrose MLAs, five Liberals, four NDP and one independent. Two previously Tory seats were vacant at the time of dissolution.
Advance polls were one sign of higher-than normal interest levels, with more than 235,000 people casting their votes in the week of early voting, a 31 per cent increase over the 2012 advance polls.
The results are consistent with polls throughout the campaign, that showed the NDP picking up support throughout the
A Leger poll commissioned by the Edmonton Journal and Calgary Herald in the final days of the election showed the NDP leading among decided voters, with 38 per cent support compared to the PC’s 30 per cent, the Wildrose’s 24 per cent and the Liberal’s six per cent.
The Alberta party was garnering one per cent support among the 1,180 eligible voters surveyed between April 26 and 28.
The NDP’s popularity, prior to election day, appeared to be particularly pronounced in Edmonton, where 56 pre cent said they backed Notley’s party compared to 21 per cent for Prentice’s PCs.
Live updates:
9:07 p.m. NDP wins Alberta election with a majority of seats. Rachel Notley’s New Democrats defeated Jim Prentice’s Tories Tuesday night.
9:00 p.m. NDP candidate and former school board chairman Sarah Hoffman defeated the human services minister.
8:56 p.m. The premier’s security detail was spotted at NDP headquarters
8:50 p.m. New Democrat candidate Bob Turner has defeated PC health minister and former Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel.
8:45 p.m. Only a dozen people reportedly at the Prentice party in Calgary
8:40 p.m. The crowd at NDP headquarters erupted in jubilant cheers as the party quickly pulled ahead of the governing Progressive Conservatives.
Party leader Rachel Notley became the first MLA to win her seat in Edmonton-Srathcona with a handy majority. She was quickly followed by candidates across the city and province. The crowd wasted no time erupting in cheers of “NDP, NDP, NDP,” as the results rolled in showing the party’s share of the popular vote widening. Federal NDP MP Linda Duncan said Notley ran a “positive, upbeat campaign.”
“It’s a victory no matter what,” she said. “People have put aside the cynicism, so that to me is a big victory for Alberta.”
8:30 p.m. NDP HQ have declared leader Rachel Notley victorious. Crowd chanting her name.
8:26 p.m. 31/87 polls reporting. PC’s lead in 16, Wildrose 8, NDP 7, Liberals 0.
8:23 p.m. Cheers erupt at NDP HQ as screens show candidate Heather Sweet in the lead in Edmonton-Manning. Even louder cheers as screens show Bob Turner leading over PC health minister Stephen Mandel in Edmonton-Whitemud.
8:14 p.m. First results are coming in with polls reporting in Calgary-East, Fort McMurray-Conklin, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo and West Yellowhead
8:10 p.m. The parties are set up at headquarters around the province. The Tories are in Calgary, along with the Liberals and Alberta Party. The NDP are in Calgary and the Wildrose are in Fort McMurray.
Source: www.EdmontonJournal.com