NDP sees Edmonton as a ‘New Democrat’ city, aims to win more seats in Alberta’s capital
Global News
One political analyst says he believes the NDP "have a legitimate shot" at winning races in Edmonton Strathcona, Edmonton Centre and Edmonton Griesbach.
When Albertans cast their ballots in this spring’s federal election, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh wants voters in the traditionally conservative-leaning province to believe his party has the best chance at competing against the Conservative Party of Canada, which at dissolution held 30 of 34 seats in Alberta.
Singh was speaking at a campaign rally at a community centre in the Edmonton Centre riding on Tuesday, where he promised that if the NDP form government, he would protect Canada’s public health-care system by banning American companies from buying Canadian health-care facilities and broadly taking steps to prevent the emergence of for-profit care in the country.
Singh expressed optimism about his party’s prospects in Alberta this election, reminding attendees of how the NDP pulled off an upset in a north Edmonton riding in the 2021 election.
“Here in Edmonton, people thought … ‘No way that Blake (Desjarlais) can win in Edmonton Griesbach.’ (But) Blake Desjarlais beat a Conservative,” Singh told the crowd. “If you’re worried about Conservatives in Edmonton, in Alberta, New Democrats beat Conservatives.”
When it comes to provincial politics, Singh could point to the NDP winning every single seat in Edmonton in the 2023 Alberta election, even though the United Conservative Party won a majority mandate to form government.
At the federal level, the NDP currently has two incumbents running in this election: Desjarlais and Heather McPherson, the party’s candidate in Edmonton Strathcona. However, in the two previous federal elections, the only seats won by the party in Alberta were in Edmonton Strathcona.
The Liberal Party of Canada went from winning four seats in Alberta (two in Edmonton) in 2015, to being shut out in the province in the 2019 election. In 2021, they rebounded by winning two seats: George Chahal in Calgary Skyview and Randy Boissonnault in Edmonton Centre. Last month, Boissonnault announced he would not seek re-election in 2025.
“I see an incredible chance with Trisha Estabrooks as our candidate,” Singh said when asked about the Edmonton Centre riding. Estabrooks is the former chair of the Edmonton Public School Board.
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