Following weeks of hypothesis, former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi has formally entered the race to be the subsequent chief of the Alberta NDP.
“I’m Naheed Nenshi, and I’m working to be chief of the Alberta NDP and your subsequent premier,” he stated in a video posted on-line on Monday.
“Collectively, we are able to beat Danielle Smith and the UCP.”
Within the video, Nenshi focused the premier and her authorities whereas contrasting the plight of Albertans in areas of well being care, climate-related phenomena and affordability.
“What we’d like now could be good, credible authorities,” he stated. “And sadly, we don’t have it.
“The one issues they know tips on how to do or decide fights and waste cash. And whereas they indulge themselves of their pals, life will get more durable for all of us. Nevertheless it doesn’t need to be that method.”
Rumours about Nenshi’s candidacy started to swirl after the competition to interchange outgoing chief Rachel Notley was introduced earlier this yr.
In his video announcement, Nenshi stated he wished to “construct on the great legacy of Rachel Notley and all of those that labored exhausting for this social gathering.”
Nenshi is the sixth candidate to enter the race to date together with Calgary-Mountain View MLA Kathleen Ganley, Edmonton-Glenora MLA Sarah Hoffman, Edmonton-Whitemud MLA Rahki Pancholi, Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse and Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan.
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Candidates have till March 15 to register for the race.
Voting will start on June 3 and run till June 22, when the outcomes shall be tallied and a winner introduced.
“I feel (Nenshi) provides much more sizzle and much more pleasure,” stated Duane Bratt, a political scientist at Mount Royal College in Calgary. “He’s acquired way more identify recognition than another candidate, not simply in Calgary however Alberta and nationwide.”
Nenshi sprang to nationwide relevance after being elected mayor of Calgary in 2010 with 39 per cent of the vote, as the primary Muslim mayor of a Canadian metropolis and of a giant North American metropolis.
He was thrust again into the nationwide highlight for his work all through emergency response efforts throughout the devastating floods that ravaged town in 2013, which led to his re-election with 73.6 per cent of the vote later that yr.
Nenshi’s final run for re-election got here in 2017 throughout a tough fought marketing campaign towards his principal opponent Invoice Smith. Nenshi gained a 3rd time period with 51 per cent of the vote whereas Smith garnered 43 per cent of the vote in a marketing campaign that drew the best voter turnout in 40 years.
After 10 years within the function, Nenshi introduced he wouldn’t search re-election within the 2021 municipal election.
The previous mayor is understood for sporting the color purple, a mixture of purple and blue which he’s beforehand stated represents a “post-partisan group the place we are able to work collectively no matter our political leanings.”
Evan Menzies, a senior marketing campaign strategist with Crestview Technique, stated Nenshi’s centrist method could face challenges with longtime NDP members who’re protecting of the social gathering’s model and values.
“Nenshi’s model is purple, he’s a centrist, he’s at all times tried to enchantment within the center, whereas the NDP base has at all times been historically a lot additional left than the center in Alberta politics,” Menzies informed International Information. “Will they welcome Nenshi within the race? Will they see Nenshi as the trail they should get again into energy, or will they be extra protecting?”
Seldom publicly supporting a celebration, Nenshi did endorse Notley and the NDP within the final provincial election, regardless of describing it as a “mortgage” vote slightly than outright assist.
Extra to come back…
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