Pragmatic or ideological? Where does the Alberta NDP go without Notley

She put Alberta’s NDP on the political map, growing the party from four to 54 MLAs during her time as leader.

But as Rachel Notley steps down from her role, political watchers wonder what it will mean for the future of the New Democrats.

Building momentum will be a challenge for whomever takes over, as some on the streets of Edmonton Wednesday said they believe Rachel Notley is the Alberta NDP.

"I'd like to see her stay but that’s her decision to leave," said voter Lourdes Dejesus.

"I am sorry to see Rachel go," said voter Ann Murray.

"I think she’s done a great job of building the party. I just hope they can pick the right person to help them move forward."

But who? That's the question the NDP now faces as it tries to build beyond Notley.

"What do you do when a popular leader leaves? But in this case not just a popular leader but someone who really changed and built the party" said political scientist Duane Bratt.

He believes the NDP has a lot of reflection to do beyond finding a new leader

"Do they want to be a pragmatic party that could form government, or do they want to go back to their ideological, pure roots?" he asked.

Last fall, pollster Janet Brown surveyed Albertans to determine whether the NDP could find more success with a new brand and a new name.

"Twelve per cent of voters were open to a centre, centre left party, but not open to the NDP," Brown recalls.

She believes the party could gain support by distancing itself from the federal NDP but said the future of the Alberta party largely depends on the rules of the leadership race.

"I am looking at the rules because that will have a big determination on who wins. And the person who wins defines this party going forward," she told CTV News Edmonton.

Several NDP MLAs have been named as possible leadership hopefuls. The rules could determine whether one of them, or a party outsider, has the upper hand.

"For somebody who hasn’t been in government long, or someone who hasn't even sat in this NDP government, a quick race would make it very difficult for them to enter this race and be competitive," she predicted.

The NDP's president says its provincial council will meet next Saturday in Red Deer to determine how and when this race will take place.