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Alberta’s Conservative Dominance in Federal Election
In the recent federal election, Alberta reaffirmed its strong Conservative allegiance, securing victories in nearly all of its electoral ridings, contrasting with a national trend favoring Mark Carney’s Liberals, who are set to form their fourth consecutive government.
Across smaller towns and rural regions, the Conservatives faced minimal opposition, achieving considerable margins in numerous districts. Notable wins included Garnett Genuis in Sherwood Park-Fort Saskatchewan, Shannon Stubbs in Lakeland, Michelle Rempel Garner in Calgary Nose Hill, Rachael Thomas in Lethbridge, and John Barlow in Foothills.
As of midnight on Tuesday, projections indicated Conservative victories in 32 out of 37 ridings in Alberta.
In a surprising twist, Calgary’s George Chahal, who made history in 2021 as the first Liberal elected from the city since 1968, found himself trailing Conservative opponent Dalwinder Gill early Tuesday in the restructured Calgary McKnight riding.
Chahal was scheduled to address supporters at his campaign office in northeast Calgary at 8:45 PM but delayed his appearance until after 11 PM.
“Tonight, we’re still waiting for the results,” Chahal expressed to a crowd of emotional supporters. “This election was much closer than anticipated. I’ll make a formal statement once all the polls are in.”
In Calgary Confederation, Liberal Corey Hogan was leading Conservative Jeremy Nixon, a former Alberta cabinet minister, in a tense race as of Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Conservative Greg McLean appeared to be successfully defending his Calgary Centre seat against Liberal challenger Lindsay Luhnau.
In Edmonton, the Liberals and NDP struggled to make headway. Early results showed the Liberals leading in Edmonton Centre, where candidate Eleanor Olszewski was ahead of Conservative Sayid Ahmed. This riding was previously held by Randy Boissonnault, a former Liberal cabinet minister who did not seek re-election.
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, a former federal energy minister, aimed to reclaim a seat in Edmonton Southeast but was decisively defeated by Conservative candidate Jagsharan Singh Mahal. Addressing a disheartened gathering, Sohi acknowledged the unexpected outcome but expressed no regrets, stating, “I take full responsibility for this because we can always do better, and I’m committed to making sure that I do better.”
Sohi will continue his role as mayor but announced he will not seek re-election in the upcoming October vote.
In Edmonton Griesbach, Conservative Kerry Diotte regained the seat he lost to NDP’s Blake Desjarlais in 2021, triumphing in a rematch. Conversely, NDP’s Heather McPherson secured a third term in Edmonton Strathcona, defeating Conservative Miles Berry.
— With files from Global News
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globalnews.ca