Alberta NDP leader Naheed Nenshi has finally come out of the woodwork and declared he will seek his party’s nomination in Edmonton-Strathcona – his predecessor Rachel Notley’s former riding.

Nenshi made the announcement on Friday, a little over a month after he avoided running in the Lethbridge-West byelection, which resulted in a victory for the Alberta NDP. NDP candidate Rob Miyashiro defeated the UCP’s John Middleton-Hope by more than 1,000 votes.

Notley’s former riding has been held by the NDP for almost 40 years, experiencing only a brief interruption when it was held by Liberal MLA Al Zariwny from 1993 to 1997. Notley resigned on December 30th, paving the way for Nenshi to take over.

“As you know, with our former leader Rachel Notley’s retirement, I have an opportunity to join our MLAs in the Legislature. I believe Alberta New Democrats can be a thoughtful government-in-waiting with real solutions for Alberta families,” said Nenshi.

“That’s why I’m officially announcing today that I’m putting my name forward for nomination as the Alberta NDP candidate in Edmonton-Strathcona for an upcoming by-election.”

Nenshi, who served as Calgary’s mayor for over a decade before leading the NDP in 2023, has struggled to break through with Albertans, even in places otherwise considered safe for the NDP. As exclusively reported by The Counter Signal, a poll showed Nenshi was deeply disliked in Edmonton, making things more difficult for the NDP leader who hopes to square off with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith in 2027.

The former Calgary mayor’s bid for the Alberta NDP leadership has not been without controversy.

Elections Alberta recently ruled that the party had breached election finance laws, inflating party membership during the leadership race which saw Nenshi crowned as Notley’s successor.

The United Conservative Party filed a complaint in February, alleging violations of Alberta’s Election Finances and Contributions Disclosure Act (EFCDA).

This section prohibits parties from claiming membership fees as contributions when reporting to Elections Alberta. The UCP claimed that NDP membership forms inappropriately did not distinguish between the two properly, and the NDP’s constitution treated any donation over $10 as an automatic membership renewal – an explicit violation of the Act.

Election Commissioner Paula Hale confirmed these breaches, officially citing the NDP for breaking the law.

“Based on the facts and circumstances in this case, I am of the view that the NDP was not in compliance,” said Hale in her decision.

“Specifically, in circumstances where memberships were being renewed as the result of an individual making a contribution in a subsequent year.”