Alberta NDP candidate Kyle Campbell has won the byelection in Calgary-Shaw, unofficial results from Elections Alberta show.
With all polls reporting, Campbell earned 7,461 of the 16,002 votes counted, about 47 per cent, 582 votes ahead of the UCP candidate Mike Derry.
Campbell’s win represents the first time the NDP has won the riding since the party’s “orange wave” when it formed government in 2015, with the UCP winning the seat in 2019 and 2023.
“I have always had running for political office on the bucket list, and it showed up really fast, but I’m glad that we get to focus on what truly matters. It’s our family, it’s our friends, it’s our community,” Campbell told supporters at a pub in southeast Calgary on Monday evening.
“This opportunity is a chance to live what I believe in my heart, which is that leadership is about service.”
The seat has been vacant since its previous representative, UCP MLA and former cabinet minister Rebecca Schulz, resigned earlier this year, triggering the byelection and what one political scientist said could be seen as a test of the government’s popularity just over a month before the Oct. 19 provincial referendum.
Kyle Joseph, who ran for the Progressive Tory Party of Alberta, came in third with 978 votes, Alberta Liberal Party Leader John Roggeveen received 602 votes, while Independent candidate Rolly Ashdown earned 82 votes.
Speaking at a UCP watch party in southeast Calgary, Derry congratulated Campbell and thanked his team for their work throughout the campaign.
“The team has been door-knocking for the last, I think 243 days,” he said. “We were listening to their voice. I had a lot of support that came down and I’m very, very thankful for the team.”
Preliminary voter turnout figures show 6,955 advance votes were cast.
Official results will be confirmed on Sept. 24.
