Rachel Notley steps down, sparks leadership race in Alberta NDP

By Isaac Lamoureux

The leader of Alberta’s NDP and former premier, Rachel Notley, has announced her resignation, initiating a leadership race within the party.

After months of speculation, Notley announced her intention to resign as leader of the Alberta NDP at a news conference in Edmonton on Tuesday.

“I’m not going to lead the party into the next election,” she said, according to the Calgary Herald. “I will be stepping down as leader once the party chooses a new leader.”

Notley’s decision comes after serving as the NDP leader since 2014 and serving as the Premier of Alberta from 2015 to 2019. Notley has served as an NDP member since 2008.

Notley carried out her family legacy as leader of the NDP. Her father, Grant Notley, was a former NDP leader and passed away in a plane crash in 1984.

After announcing her retirement Tuesday morning in a speech to NDP caucus members, Notley said she would remain as leader of the party while the party conducted a leadership race.

The Tuesday announcement comes amid poor polling and two straight losses to majority United Conservative Party (UCP) governments.

Notley wants to focus on helping a smooth transition of leadership power.

“I want to give whoever becomes the new leader enough time to put their own stamp on the party and to bring everybody together to make sure the party is election ready,” she told the Toronto Star.

Notley said she doesn’t know her next steps and is unsure whether she will fulfil her current term as the legislature member for Edmonton-Strathcona, where she won the last five elections. Notley has not ruled out running again, according to the Canadian Press.

full story at https://tnc.news/2024/01/16/rachel-notley-steps-down/

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