Alberta NDP Leader Nenshi will seek Calgary seat in next election

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

The former Calgary mayor, who won the Edmonton-Strathcona byelection in June 2025, said in a social media post he was "forever grateful" to his current constituents but wants to return to the city where he spent much of his political life. "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 NDP leader in 2024, succeeding Rachel Notley. He said he's making the announcement well in advance "so that the incredible constituency association in this riding has time for a healthy and robust nomination process" to select his replacement.

Political science professor Lori Williams at Mount Royal University said Nenshi's move was unsurprising, given his Calgary roots. "This is where his political roots are," she said. Williams suggested Nenshi might run in Calgary-Buffalo, currently held by longtime NDP MLA Joe Ceci, who won with 63 per cent of the vote in 2023. Nenshi said he'll announce which Calgary riding he's running in after the electoral boundary redrawing process is complete, which he called "an illegitimate and corrupt process."

Nenshi will continue serving Edmonton-Strathcona until the next general election, scheduled for October 2027.