This week’s provincial byelection in Alberta laid bare the growing political fault lines shaping the province’s future. The United Conservative Party (UCP) held onto its rural base. Will the election of Naheed Nenshi as leader of the Alberta NDP signal a potential turning point for progressive politics, not just in Edmonton, but across a province deeply divided along urban-rural lines?
Alberta’s political map is increasingly defined not by policy nuance but by geography. Urban centres, especially Calgary and Edmonton, continue to shift leftward, driven by younger, more diverse populations concerned with affordability, healthcare, climate change, and human rights. Meanwhile, rural Alberta remains the stronghold of the UCP and an emerging, hard-right movement exemplified by the Republican Party of Alberta, which continues to gain traction among voters alienated by what they perceive as government overreach, social liberalism, and international climate agendas.
The Republican Party’s rise—still marginal in terms of actual electoral wins but significant in narrative influence—mirrors the populist surge seen in parts of the United States. Their messaging draws heavily on conspiracy-adjacent rhetoric, anti-trans panic, anti-globalism, anti-nationalism, and a deep hostility to “woke politics,” often without offering substantive policy alternatives. Their role may not yet be to govern, but rather to pull the Overton window further right, giving Premier Danielle Smith permission to legislate more aggressively.
Into this volatile political landscape steps Naheed Nenshi, a former Calgary mayor known for pragmatic governance, sharp wit, and an unapologetically progressive vision for Alberta. His victory is historic not just for who he is—a queer-friendly, racialized leader in one of Canada’s most conservative provinces—but for what he represents: a break from the NDP's perceived identity as a party only for Edmonton or union halls. Nenshi knows how to win in Calgary. He knows how to talk to suburban voters without abandoning progressive values. And, perhaps most importantly, he knows how to turn policy into a people-centered story.
His presence alone will not stop the UCP’s legislative blitz, which has already included attacks on trans healthcare, the decimation of public health services, and interventions into post-secondary governance that favour ideological conformity over academic freedom. But his leadership sharpens the NDP’s narrative and re-energizes its base at a time when many progressives were feeling demoralized by the UCP’s ability to pass harmful legislation with little effective opposition.
The byelection result will not tip the balance of power in the legislature, but it does have the potential to reset the tone. A resurgent NDP under Nenshi makes it harder for the UCP to pass controversial bills without facing a coherent, media-savvy challenge. That matters in a province where so much of the political debate happens on talk radio, on social media, and at the grassroots level. Nenshi’s skill as a communicator—his ability to connect kitchen-table issues to broader questions of justice and democracy—gives progressives a shot at changing the narrative.
There is, of course, a long road ahead. The rural-urban divide is real, and many rural Albertans feel abandoned by the very systems progressives aim to protect. Healthcare cuts, underfunded schools, and extractive economic practices have left deep wounds in small communities. If the NDP is to build a true alternative to the UCP, it must find a way to speak not just to urban progressives but to disillusioned rural voters who have real grievances, even if they’re being exploited by bad-faith actors on the right.
What happens next will depend on whether the NDP can channel the energy of this week’s victory into something more durable: a movement that refuses to leave any part of Alberta behind. Nenshi’s election is a spark. Whether it becomes a fire depends on how willing progressives are to organize, listen, and build a future that isn’t just reactive—but visionary.
In a province as complex and polarized as Alberta, hope is never enough. But it’s a start.
- Dr. Wilbur Turner
~ Wilbur Turner is a political strategist and community advocate based in Kelowna, British Columbia, with deep roots in Alberta. With experience on the ground in federal and municipal campaigns, and a passion for civic engagement, Turner offers sharp, accessible insight into the political and social issues shaping our region and country. He was selected by the University of British Columbia for an Honorary Doctor of Laws for his significant contribution to the community. He also writes articles as QueerGranddad on Substack.
