NDP wins majority in historic provincial election – local ridings go NDP and Wildrose

After 44 years the Progressive Conservative Party of Alberta, in its unlucky 13th run at power, failed to convince a jaded electorate to re-elect them.

Rachel Notley and her New Democrats succeeded in 2015 where the Wildrose could not three years earlier. Jim Prentice resigned immediately as leader of the PC Party and as MLA.

The NDP made inroads not only as expected in Edmonton, but in what once was the Tory stronghold of Calgary, and many smaller cities in the province. The official opposition will be the Wildrose Party under leader Brian Jean, thereby putting the former PC juggernauts in third place in the Alberta Legislature.

Liberal leader David Swann was the only Liberal candidate to be elected as an MLA. The orange sweep included Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville, former premier Ed Stelmach’s riding, which fell to the NDP candidate Jessica Littlewood. Battle River-Wainwright went from PC to the Wildrose Party’s Wes Taylor.