Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi named new Alberta NDP leader in resounding vote

CALGARY — Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi’s appeal to new members outside the traditional Alberta NDP caucus has propelled him to the helm of the party.

Nenshi becomes the first Calgary native to lead the New Democrats, easily securing victory with 86% of the vote in the first round of the party’s largest and most competitive leadership contest.

The race was billed as a battle between the NDP’s ideological roots and political pragmatism in the traditionally conservative province.

Party membership, which swelled fivefold to 85,000 during the campaign, opted for Nenshi’s sharp wit and far-reaching public profile.

Nenshi wasted no time launching attacks against his newest political foe, using his victory speech to describe Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Government as small-minded.

“This extraordinary movement we have created together is an example of what is possible when we stop thinking small and start thinking big,” he told the cheering crowd of party faithful.

Nenshi made international headlines when he became the first Muslim mayor of a major North American city in 2010. He served three terms before stepping down ahead of the 2021 municipal elections.

Now he becomes leader of the opposition, but does not hold a seat in the legislature.

Former leader Rachel Notley announced in January that she would be leaving the leadership post after the party lost its second consecutive election to the United Conservative Party.

Despite last year’s loss to Premier Danielle Smith, the NDP won 38 of the 87 legislative seats to become the largest opposition in the province’s history.

Also in the running for the job were Notley-era cabinet ministers Sarah Hoffman and Kathleen Ganley, and rookie member of the legislature Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse.

Nenshi was criticized by some in the party as an opportunist with liberal leanings. He dismissed the criticism, saying his values ​​are core Alberta.

His political brand has always been purple — neither conservative blue nor liberal red.

He said it was an invitation to voters to put aside their tribalism. And during the NDP leadership race, he added splashes of NDP orange to his wardrobe.

Jeromy Farkas, a conservative voice on Calgary city council during Nenshi’s tenure as mayor, characterized him as a powerful behind-the-scenes collaborator who managed to galvanize the NDP in a way conservatives are right to be concerned about.

“I don’t think, at least beyond the surface level, many of the existing (NDP) members are happy with this idea of ​​a savior riding his purple horse,” Farkas said.

“That said, membership is what you make of it. And in real time, we see Nenshi reforming the NDP to change what it means to be NDP.”

Nenshi also sparked debate over the party’s future identity, questioning whether it should retain membership links with its federal counterpart.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 22, 2024.

The Canadian Press