NDP sweep of Edmonton confirmed; Madu out as minister with fall to Ip in southwest
The Alberta NDP swept the province's capital city for a second time during Monday's provincial election.
Danielle Smith's United Conservative Party won a majority government in Alberta with 49 seats, losing 14 to the NDP.
That party, led by Rachel Notley, was elected in all 20 of Edmonton's ridings.
When the NDP won the 2015 election under Notley's helm, the party swept Edmonton then, too.
The latest sweep wasn't evident until Tuesday morning, as results trickled in throughout the night.
Among the highest-profile contests was Edmonton-South West, where Nathan Ip defeated UCP deputy premier Kaycee Madu by earning 56.5 per cent of the vote. Madu earned 42.2 while Green Party candidate Jeff Cullihall earned 1.3 per cent.
"It's still sinking in, but I'm elated. I'm deeply honoured," Ip, an Edmonton Public School Board vice-chair and trustee, told CTV News Edmonton late Monday evening.
Describing the 28-day campaign as gruelling, he added, "I'm excited to get to work for the people of Edmonton-South West. Tomorrow, I'm going to pack up my campaign office and start thinking about what the transition will look like. But maybe after that I'll take a break."
Edmonton-South West was the lone Edmonton riding the United Conservatives won in 2019, with Madu receiving just under 45 per cent of the vote and the NDP's candidate, John Archer, trailing behind at less than 42 per cent.
Madu did not speak to media on Monday but in a statement posted to social media the next morning, he thanked constituents for the opportunity to serve them and congratulated both Ip and the United Conservative Party.
Madu was a member of cabinet in both former premier Jason Kenney's and Danielle Smith's governments. He last served as the minister of skilled trades and professions. In February 2022, he lost his job as justice minister for calling Edmonton's police chief after receiving a distracted driving ticket.
SOHI REACTS TO NDP SWEEP
Overall in Edmonton, the NDP received almost 62 per cent of the popular vote and the UCP 35 per cent.
The last seat to finish reporting Tuesday morning was Edmonton-City Centre, which David Shepherd won with a 50.7-per cent lead over UCP candidate Richard Wong.
Notley handily won her Edmonton-Strathcona riding with 79.7 per cent of the vote. The UCP's Emad El-Zein won 17.3 per cent and the Green Party's Robert Gooding-Townsend 1.9 per cent.
Former city councillor Jon Dziadyk, running for the UCP, lost Edmonton-Castle Downs to the NDP's Nicole Goehring. They received 41.1 and 50 per cent of the vote, respectively.
"Calgary still has representation in the provincial government. We don't," Edmonton's mayor, Amarjeet Sohi, noted on Tuesday.
"I hope that provincial government would keep that in mind. That a million people in our city will not have a voice, a direct voice, in the cabinet. So how do we create opportunities for those voices to be included?"
Sohi said Alberta's capital city has been treated unfairly by past governments but that he was hopeful Smith and her government could give the city more attention now that the election was over.
"This is a opportunity for [the] premier to reset that relationship and really look at why many Edmontonians remain dissatisfied with the provincial government. And the results are quite evident that a UCP government, a UCP party, has been completely shut out of Edmonton, not having a single seat. That speaks to many Edmontonians' dissatisfaction. But we want to work with government to help them overcome and understand why that is the case."
He also acknowledged the city has good relationships with some of the UCP candidates who were elected around the city.
The NDP also held its seat in St. Albert.
In addition to Edmonton-South West, the NDP flipped several seats in the province's 87-seat legislature, including in Sherwood Park and Calgary.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.