Alberta Premier Danielle Smith was handed a decisive victory in the Brooks-Medicine Hat byelection on Nov. 8.
Smith won the seat with 54.5 percent of the vote, followed by NDP candidate Gwendoline Dirk who garnered 26.7 percent. Alberta Party Leader and byelection candidate Barry Morishita came in third with 16.5 percent.
In a speech following the announcement of the results, Smith said the people of Brooks-Medicine Hat made their choice, and promoted her party for the upcoming provincial election next year.
She said voters can choose the Alberta NDP “that increasingly takes their orders from Jagmeet Singh and Justin Trudeau at the federal level,“ or ”can choose a united, confident, and energized UCP—a UCP that will keep Alberta strong and free.”Voicing support for her party’s candidate and taking aim at Smith’s UCP, Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley said on Twitter “Gwendoline [Dirk] never anticipated running for office but couldn’t stand by and watch as the current Government failed to address the affordability crisis, to protect public healthcare and public education, and to create good-paying jobs so Albertans can make ends meet.”
The Brooks-Medicine Hat riding was formerly held by UCP MLA Michaela Fry. She announced her resignation the day after Smith, who was the only leadership candidate without a seat in the Alberta Legislature, won the UCP leadership contest on Oct. 8, and encouraged the new premier to run for her rural seat.
