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
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.