Kenney cruises to victory in Calgary-Lougheed byelection

James Wood
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Jason Kenney continued his steamroller run through Canada politics Thursday, easily winning the Calgary-Lougheed byelection and setting his sights on Premier Rachel Notley.

The United Conservative Party leader was the heavy favourite in the race — triggered by the resignation of UCP MLA Dave Rodney to make way for Kenney — and unofficial results showed the former federal cabinet minister with 71.5 per cent of the vote and a nearly 6,000-vote lead over the NDP’s Phillip van der Merwe.

van der Merwe, a family doctor, finished a faraway second with 16.5 per cent of the vote, while Liberal Leader David Khan was in third with 9.3 per cent of the tally.

The byelection marks the fourth major win for Kenney in the past nine months, following his victory in the Progressive Conservative leadership in March, successful referendums on uniting the PC and Wildrose parties this summer, and his triumph in the UCP leadership race in October.

Kenney had repeatedly said the byelection would be a chance to send a message to Notley’s NDP government, which he has lashed for economic and fiscal mismanagement — taking particular aim at the government’s carbon levy and growing debt levels.

“Tonight, friends, I received my marching orders — to fight every day to hold this government to account,” Kenney told a raucous crowd crammed into his Woodbine campaign headquarters.

With the win, Kenney can now go toe-to-toe with Notley in the legislature over the next year in the run-up to the 2019 provincial election.

Kenney, who did not speak to reporters, accused the NDP of running a “fear and smear campaign” against him in the byelection but said he would take a respectful approach as he battled the government.

“Premier Notley, I look forward to meeting you in the legislature.”