Alberta NDP leadership race set to enter 'persuasion period' with close of membership sales

Story by Matthew Black • Edmonton Journal

Alberta NDP leadership candidates Naheed Nenshi, left, Kathleen Ganley, Sarah Hoffman, Gil McGowan and Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse outlined their platforms and visions for the party during a leadership showcase hosted at Sherwood Park's Agora on April 3, 2024.

© Provided by Edmonton Journal

The Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) is set to take another step Monday towards replacing outgoing Leader Rachel Notley as membership sales close and the party’s membership list will begin being finalized.

The end of the day marks the last chance for candidates to sell memberships. Tuesday will mark the start of the “persuasion period” where the prospective leaders will pitch their platforms to those members, including through three debates in the weeks to come.

The party will announce its new leader on June 22 at an event in Calgary.

Postmedia spoke to all five candidates ahead of Monday night’s deadline.

Scroll down or follow the links below to read what they each had to say and to learn more about their platforms ahead of Monday night’s deadline.

Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse | Kathleen Ganley | Sarah Hoffman | Gil McGowan | Naheed Nenshi

Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse


Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse announces her candidacy for the Alberta NDP in the constituency of Edmonton-Rutherford during a news conference on April 24, 2022. David Bloom/Postmedia

Entered the race: Feb. 23
Policies and priorities: Alberta Water Rights Act, conservation
Endorsements: MLAs Brooks Arcand-Paul and Sarah Elmeligi
Website: voteforjodi.ca

Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse joined the race as a first-term MLA representing Edmonton-Rutherford.

She’s focused her campaign on the environment, specifically her proposed Alberta Water Rights Act that calls for improved protection of rivers and other headwaters.

“We have to figure out how we are mitigating and managing our most precious resource that is needed for every single economic system,” she said.

She described the province’s health care and education systems as being “broken” and called on the government to better listen to those working in those areas.

Despite her relative newcomer status to the Alberta legislature, Calahoo Stonehouse believes she could lead the party to victory in the next election.

“I will beat Danielle Smith and I’ll clean up the mess.”

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Kathleen Ganley


Alberta NDP leadership candidate Kathleen Ganley in downtown Calgary on Feb. 19, 2024. Jim Wells/Postmedia
Entered the race: Feb. 6
Policies and priorities: Income tax cut, boosting minimum wage, public auto insurer
Endorsements: Former party leaders Brian Mason and Raj Pannu, eight NDP MLAs
Website: teamganley.ca

Kathleen Ganley was the first candidate to enter the contest and said that she wants to address issues of affordability that are at a “crisis point.”

“The most common concern we hear are families that don’t know if they’re gonna be able to keep a roof over their head or buy their groceries.”

The Calgary-Mountain View MLA said the party needs to bolster its economic platform from where it was during the last election in order to grow support and win in 2027.

“People whose top issue is health care, education, they voted with us last time. What we need is people whose top issue is the economy,” she said.

“Our ideas on the economy are better.”

Sarah Hoffman


Sarah Hoffman, MLA for Edmonton-Glenora and former deputy premier and minister of health, officially launches her campaign for the leadership of the Alberta NDP on Feb. 11, 2024, in Edmonton. Greg Southam/Postmedia
Entered the race: Feb. 6
Policies and priorities: Health, climate, housing
Endorsements: Former party leader Ray Martin, Edmonton Coun. Michael Janz, Edmonton Strathcona MP Heather McPherson
Website: sarahhoffman.ca

Sarah Hoffman entered the race on its opening day and said she’s worked with experts to develop what she terms “bold policy” around housing, health, and climate change.

The three-term Edmonton-Glenora MLA also cited her experience and work ethic as keys to her campaign.

“New Democrats have to work three or four times as hard in the province,” she said. “I know what it’s going to take for us to help get over the finish line.”

Hoffman said she is best positioned to help the party grow its presence outside of the two major cities, including in rural Alberta.

“There are so many people across this province who want to vote NDP and they need to get to know us.”

Gil McGowan


Gil McGowan at a news conference in Calgary on Oct. 12, 2022. Jim Wells/Postmedia
Entered the race: March 7
Policies and priorities: Workers, affordability, economic transition
Endorsements: Alberta Federation of Labour
Website: gilforalberta.ca

Longtime labour leader Gil McGowan said the province needs to “relearn the lessons of Lougheed” and start pivoting the economy towards the future amid a global energy transition.

For him, that means expanding the party’s appeal among the working class, something he believes is essential to the NDP winning the next election.

“If we’re not laser-focused on winning workers back, then we will continue to lose not just in 2027 or beyond.”

He also said the leadership race will determine the future of the Alberta NDP itself.

“We’re making a decision about whether the party remains true to its social democratic roots or whether it becomes an Alberta version of the Liberal party or the Alberta party.”

Naheed Nenshi


NDP leadership candidate Naheed Nenshi after speaking at an Alberta Chambers of Commerce event in Edmonton on March 14, 2024. David Bloom/Postmedia
Entered the race: March 11
Policies and priorities: Economic growth, affordability, expanded public health care
Endorsements: Rakhi Pancholi, eight other current NDP MLAs, Jann Arden
Website: nenshi.ca

Naheed Nenshi was the last of the candidates to enter the contest but managed to double the size of the party within two weeks, according to MLA Rakhi Pancholi who dropped out of the leadership race to endorse the former Calgary mayor .

He described the current government as being divisive and coming from a place of negativity, something he said he would change.

“Politics these days, for the last decade or so, have been the politics of being ‘against,'” he said. “We’ve got a chance to be ‘for.'”

Nenshi’s policy pitches include boosting funding to both public health care and education, reversing the government’s policies on 2SLGBTQ+ youth, and fully implementing $10-a-day child care.

“We have a lot of work to do to rebuild Alberta.”