Former Alberta premier Rachel Notley stepping down as NDP leader

Former premier Rachel Notley, the leader of the Alberta NDP and Official Opposition, is stepping down.

“Having considered what I believe to be the best interests of our party, our caucus, as well as my own preferences, I am here today to announce that I will not be leading Alberta’s NDP into the next election,” she said Tuesday afternoon.

Notley said she’ll stay on until there’s a leadership race and vote for a new Alberta NDP leader, and that she’ll support the new leader.

Once a new leader is chosen, she’ll step down from the leadership role.

Notley said she is “absolutely not” pursuing a role in federal politics.

However, she said she’s not made any decisions about how long she’ll stay on as MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona. Her term ends in 2027.

“Short of having, raising and, of course, regularly debating with my family, the opportunity to serve this party and this province has been the honour of my life,” Notley said.

Notley, Alberta’s longest-serving MLA, said her biggest political accomplishment was showing Albertans they had options.

“We are not a one-party province where Albertans have no real choice about how their province should be run,” she said during Tuesday’s news conference.

“Alberta is not a one-party province or a two-party province with two different shades of conservatives.”

Notley said she’s confident that will continue.

“Our party has never been stronger.”

She said an NDP leadership race will showcase the strength and diversity of the party.

“To me, the folks who are elected, who sit in the at building there on behalf of all Albertans, need to reflect the people that they represent if we’re going to do a good job.”

Notley expects the leadership race will be a very exciting one. She was hesitant to suggest the party head in one direction or another.

“The frame that many people often try to impose on us — are we going left? Are we going centre? Where are we there? — is maybe not the best way to look at it.

“To me, it’s about: are we listening to all Albertans? Are we representing the hopes and aspirations of the greatest number of Albertans? Are we doing it in a way that’s respectful to our values?”

Alberta NDP will hold a provincial council meeting on Jan. 27 in Red Deer to determine the start and end date of the leadership campaign period.

Campaigning will not begin until the time period has been set by the party.

During her announcement, Notley became emotional talking about her family.

She said her husband and children always believed in her and encouraged her.

“I couldn’t have done it without them,” she said.

Notley, 59, is married to Lou Arab and has two children.

She grew up in Fairview, Alta., and her father was Grant Notley, a former Alberta NDP leader. He died in a plane crash when she was a 20-year-old university student.

“I was raised by both my father and my mother to believe that public service is something you should strive for throughout your life,” Notley said.

“It wouldn’t have happened for me without the examples they both set,” she explained, adding they showed her daily the value of hard work, compassion for others and the honour of public service.

“I grew up being told that politics could be very noble, and I think it should be.

“And I think that certainly I’ve tried my best to maintain that. Not everyone would agree that I’ve succeeded.

“But I do think it is important to understand there’s sacrifice in it, and to give most folks — even those who don’t agree with you — the benefit of the doubt,” she said.

“Public service is a challenge but it’s also incredibly rewarding … in terms of making the kind of change you care about.”

“She’s an extraordinary political figure, there’s just no question about that,” said Mount Royal University professor and political scientist Lori Williams.

“We saw a different kind of leadership — a very inclusive kind of leadership.

“This meant recruiting more diverse candidates based on gender, ethnicity, even region. She attracted a number of really strong new candidates to contest for office. The list of candidates for the NDP in the last election was nothing short of impressive.”

Williams said Notley blazed a trail in many ways.

“A new kind of leadership particularly in Alberta, one that isn’t necessarily associated with ‘small-c conservatism,’ one that has in some ways rebranded — at least under her leadership — Alberta as not simply an oil and gas powerhouse, but a diverse economic entity that is interested in balancing energy and the environment, oil and gas and conservation concerns … supportive of healthcare, education, for fair pay for the disadvantaged in our society,” Williams said.

“She also extended her reach outside Alberta to generate more support for, for example, the Trans Mountain Pipeline, for pipelines in general,” she added.

“Because of her messaging, because of her what you call ‘Care Bear offensive,’ or charm offensive, across the country, she won the support from other premiers and ordinary voters.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone before her manage the kinds of challenges that are common — particularly for female leaders in politics — to both appear caring and compassionate but also tough when she needed to be, good sense of humour, compassionate but also very capable. And that combination of attributes that were acknowledged by even her opponents really marked a difference in women in politics historically,” Williams said.

“This is a big moment,” said pollster Janet Brown. “She’s been a big force in Alberta politics for the last 15 years.

“We can look back and say this was a pretty remarkable career.”

Brown said the NDP leadership vote will likely happen in the fall, giving the new leader two years to establish themselves before the next provincial election, which likely played into Notley’s timing.

“She said her number one accomplishment was turning Alberta into a two-party state.

“We’re a province that was always dominated by conservative politics and she feels her legacy is she’s made the NDP competitive. And now they’re at this critical juncture. Can they stay competitive? Can they be competitive under a new leader?

Names that Brown has heard as potential leadership candidates include Kathleen Ganley, Rakhi Pancholi and Sarah Hoffman.

“We haven’t really had a hotly contested, public NDP race and I think if there’s a lot of candidates in this race, if there’s a lot of interest, then it’ll show that the NDP has lots of strength going forward,” she said.

“(Notley) is the reason we have competitive politics so it’s crucial that the NDP also pick a competitive leader. This province has a real conservative bent to it and without a strong NDP leader, the province could very easily slip into a one-party state again.”

Notley and the Alberta NDP

Notley was first elected as an MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona in 2008. She was re-elected as the NDP MLA in 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2023. Notley was elected leader of the Alberta NDP in 2014.

Notley made history on May 5, 2015, when she and the NDP were elected in Alberta and ended more than four decades of government rule in Alberta by the Progressive Conservatives.

As premier, Notley and the NDP introduced legislation to eliminate union and corporate donations to political parties, raised the minimum wage, built more than 200 new schools, funded two new hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary, and initiated a $25-per-day childcare program.

However, in April 2019, the newly formed United Conservative Party, led by leader Jason Kenney, won the provincial election.

In a rare political move, Notley stayed on, becoming the only Alberta premier to take another run at the job after being defeated.

When Kenney resigned years later after receiving 51.4 per cent support in a leadership review vote, Danielle Smith was chosen as UCP leader and took over as premier.

The UCP was re-elected in 2023, this time under Smith.

After the UCP won, Notley admitted she wasn’t sure what her future plans were, but she remained leader of the Opposition.

“Now is not the time to let up,” Notley said after her 2023 election defeat. “Now is the time to step up.

“Like all leaders, after an election, I will take the time to consider my role as leader. I did that after 2015. I did that after 2019 and I’m doing it now,” she said.

“As of now, my No. 1 priority is do the work Albertans have asked of us and nothing less.”

Prior to entering politics, she worked as a labour lawyer, focusing on workers’ compensation advocacy, workplace health and safety issues, and she worked for a variety of labour unions in Alberta and B.C.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Alberta and a law degree from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Political reaction to resignation

In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith wrote:

“I would like to thank the Honourable Rachel Notley, MLA for Edmonton-Strathcona and Alberta’s 17th premier, for her many years of dedicated service to her constituents and to all Albertans.

“Serving as premier is an extremely demanding job, and she served in that office with an honour and dignity reminiscent of her late father, another honourable and loyal Albertan and public servant.

“I wish Ms. Notley all the best in her future endeavours and whatever comes next for her and her family,” Smith wrote.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek said it’s important to recognize the work of elected officials leaving office.

“I would remind everyone that it’s not about your politics and whether you agree with that person’s decisions or their party, this is about the amount of service Ms. Notley has put in to serving Albertans and she deserves to be commended for the work that she’s done and the time she’s put in.”

Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi thanked Notley on social media for her “extraordinary service to Albertans over many years.

“She is a principled leader who has left a strong legacy for our province and our city, including the Calgary Cancer Centre and infrastructure across the city.

“Regardless of our political stripes, we all benefit when good people step into public life. I am grateful that Rachel Notley has dedicated her life to service and join with all Albertans in wishing her and her family the best for her next chapter.”

Jagmeet Singh, leader of the federal NDP, said Notley has been a “formidable leader” for Alberta who has shown “considerable strength and tenacity.” He said it was an honour to work with her and call her a friend.

“I hope Rachel has a chance to reflect on just how momentous her political career has been for our party and for the people she’s represented. Alberta New Democrats, under Rachel’s leadership, improved the lives of hardworking people in measurable ways.

“She has been an inspiration to New Democrats across the country as she brought the party from four seats to a majority government. She fought hard for Alberta to have a government that reflects Albertans’ values and priorities. She made Albertans proud. She made New Democrats proud.

“On behalf of all New Democrats, I want to thank Rachel for her many years of dedicated public service. It’s not always easy to work toward positive solutions, but Rachel has met every challenge with determination and courage,” Singh said in a statement.