Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says he'll seek Calgary seat in next election

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says he'll seek Calgary seat in next election

Former Calgary mayor won Edmonton-Strathcona byelection last year

Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi says he will seek a Calgary seat in next year's general election.

The former Calgary mayor made the announcement on social media Thursday afternoon, saying he was "forever grateful" to the constituents of Edmonton-Strathcona, a seat he won in a byelection last year.

"While I've been thrilled every day to serve as your MLA, I will be seeking election in a Calgary riding in the next general election," he said.

Nenshi was elected leader of the Alberta NDP in 2024, succeeding Rachel Notley. He won the Edmonton-Strathcona seat in June 2025 after Notley stepped down as MLA at the end of 2024.

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He said he was making the announcement well in advance of next year's election "so that the incredible constituency association in this riding has time for a healthy and robust nomination process to select a candidate and a future MLA worthy of representing you."

"As for me, I will seek election in a Calgary riding, to represent the communities in which I grew up and where I've made much of my professional and political life," said Nenshi, who served three terms as Calgary's mayor from 2010 to 2021.

"I also don't mind saying that to give Albertans the government they deserve, we need to win more seats in Calgary, and I'm happy to be part of that battle," he said.

Nenshi said he would announce which Calgary riding he's running in after the completion of the electoral boundary redrawing process, which he called "an illegitimate and corrupt process" in his statement.

'Not a surprise': political scientist

Lori Williams, a political science professor at Calgary’s Mount Royal University, said Nenshi's decision to run in Calgary was "not a surprise."

"This is where his political roots are," she said, adding that Nenshi's decision also opens up a safe NDP seat in Edmonton.

While it's unclear which seat Nenshi would seek, Williams said it's likely he would run for Calgary-Buffalo, held by longtime NDP MLA Joe Ceci. He won the seat with 63 per cent of the vote in the 2023 election.

"From the time that we heard that Joe Ceci was not going to be running again, I think many people speculated that Nenshi would choose to run in the riding that he vacated, or some other Calgary riding," Williams said.

Nenshi said he will continue to serve the Edmonton-Strathcona constituency until the next election, which is scheduled for October 2027.

Shortly after Nenshi's announcement, former federal NDP candidate Trisha Estabrooks sent out an invitation to a "provincial political announcement" for Friday.

Amir Said is a multimedia journalist with CBC Calgary. He is an alumnus of the University of Regina, and his award-winning work as a writer and photographer has been published by outlets across Canada, including Postmedia, The Hill Times and The Narwhal. Amir can be reached at amir.said@cbc.ca or through social media.