Alberta Party declines to run candidate in Calgary-Lougheed byelection
CBC News | Posted: November 21, 2017 6:45 PM | Last Updated: November 21, 2017
Party says it plans to direct party resources to 'dynamic and successful' leadership election
An upcoming byelection with three provincial party leaders on the ballot will go ahead without a candidate from the Alberta Party.
"With Greg Clark's announcement to step down and trigger a leadership election, we wish to direct all available party resources towards running a dynamic and successful leadership election," the party said in a release Tuesday.
- Calgary-Lougheed byelection called for Dec. 14
- Alberta Liberal Party Leader to face United Conservative Party Leader in Calgary byelection
The Alberta Party statement said the decision was not an easy one, but the Calgary-Lougheed race was considered a "foregone conclusion."
United Conservative Party Leader Jason Kenney is considered by many to be the front-runner, as the election was triggered when former UCP MLA Dave Rodney resigned to give the newly elected leader a chance to vie for a seat in the Alberta Legislature.
Kenney is facing two other seatless leaders in the Dec. 14 vote: Alberta Liberal Party Leader David Khan and Green Party of Alberta Leader Romy Tittel, who announced her candidacy on Sunday.
Dr. Phillip van der Merwe is also running in the byelection under the NDP banner.
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