Alberta NDP’s Kyle Campbell wins Calgary-Shaw byelection

Alberta NDP candidate Kyle Campbell has been elected as the next MLA for Calgary-Shaw, defeating UCP challenger Mike Derry by 582 votes in a closely contested fall byelection.

Campbell won the riding, while Derry finished second. Progressive Tory Party of Alberta candidate and teacher Kyle Joseph received 978 votes, followed by Liberal Party of Alberta candidate and lawyer John Roggeveen with 602 votes. Independent candidate Rolly Ashdown finished with 82 votes.

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi described the result as an “earthquake” for the party.

Calgary-Shaw has traditionally been a stronghold for right-of-centre parties, with the UCP holding the seat for the past two terms. The NDP previously represented the riding from 2015 to 2019, its only term in the constituency since it was created in 1986.

The riding’s former MLA, UCP member and former environment minister Rebecca Schulz, resigned earlier this year.

The race remained tight after polls closed Monday night, with Campbell and Derry running neck-and-neck throughout the count. Before the results were announced, Nenshi told NDP supporters the close contest had turned Calgary-Shaw into a potential swing riding for the party.