Calgary-Shaw byelection set for Sept. 14 draws four candidates in high-profile race

Calgary-Shaw voters will head to the polls Sept. 14 to elect a new MLA for the south suburban riding, following former UCP cabinet minister Rebecca Schulz's decision to step away from provincial politics earlier this year.

While byelections traditionally see low voter turnout and public interest, political observers expect this race to attract more attention than most. Mount Royal University political science professor Lori Williams said the Calgary-Shaw vote is seen as a bellwether for next year's provincial election and a litmus test for public support of the governing United Conservative Party's track record ahead of October's referendum.

"This actually could be a really interesting race, even though a lot else is going on in Alberta politics at the same time," Williams said. The Calgary-Shaw byelection is happening just five weeks before a province-wide referendum that includes a question on Alberta's potential secession from Canada. Williams noted that the UCP candidate has been endorsed by a prominent Alberta separatist—an association the NDP has already seized on in early campaign rhetoric.

"It could be that separation becomes an issue in this particular riding," Williams said.

Schulz was a two-term cabinet minister who also challenged for the UCP leadership in 2022, which Williams said will heighten public interest in the byelection to replace her. Calgary-Shaw includes Shawnessy, Somerset and Silverado on the west and Legacy and Walden on the east, straddling both sides of MacLeod Trail. The riding has about 39,000 eligible voters.

Williams noted that suburban ridings tend to lean conservative, but this one elected an NDP MLA from 2015 to 2019. "There's sort of a moderate, centrist character to voters in that riding, so it'll be very interesting to see if someone who seems to be associated with far-right supporters and issues suffers as a result of that," she said.

As of Wednesday, four candidates have declared their intent to run. Mike Derry is representing the UCP; Kyle Campbell is the NDP candidate; Alberta Liberal Party leader John Roggeveen is also running; and Kyle Joseph is seeking the nomination for the upstart Progressive Tory Party. All four say they live in Calgary-Shaw or just outside it. Nominations close Aug. 27.

Derry runs a talent agency and human resources consultancy, and previously worked for Telus and Canadian Natural Resources. Campbell has worked in insurance and finance. Roggeveen is a lawyer, and Joseph is a Grade 6 social studies teacher. In a UCP news release, Derry said: "I'm running because Calgary-Shaw is my home and I want to give back to the community that has given my family so much."