Citing health challenges, Edmonton-City Centre MLA David Shepherd has announced he will not be joining the Alberta NDP leadership race after all.
Mr. Shepherd, who as recently as Monday was indicating he would announce his candidacy later in the week, published a tweet thread on X yesterday morning saying that “due to ongoing challenges with my health, it’s become clear that I’m currently not in a position to be able to move forward with pursuing the leadership of the Alberta NDP.”
In his social media statement, Mr. Shepherd thanked his supporters and wished the best to the remaining candidates. He said he will continue to represent his constituents in his downtown Edmonton riding.
A member in the Alberta Legislature’s Class of 2015, Mr. Shepherd was elected in the Notley Sweep that brought the NDP to power and ended the rule of the Progressive Conservative Dynasty that took power under Peter Lougheed in 1971.
Rachel Notley, premier from 2015 to 2019 and now the longest-serving MLA in the Legislature, announced her expected decision to step aside on Jan. 16, saying she would remain as Opposition leader until her replacement is chosen. It is not clear how long she intends to represent her Edmonton-Strathcona riding, the safest NDP seat in the province.
A professional musician and lifelong Edmonton resident, Mr. Shepherd said a particular mission for him was “to engage, support and empower African, Caribbean and Black communities across our province.”
“When I stepped up to run in 2015, it was because I saw that far too many Albertans felt their voices were ignored and left unrepresented in a government that had lost touch,” he said. “I wanted to change that – to show they could have representatives that truly listened, that were invested in their communities and reflected the voice of the people they served.”
The NDP’s health critic after the UCP came to power in 2019, Mr. Shepherd’s responsibilities were focused on rural and primary care after last year’s election saw the size of the NDP Caucus increase to 38 from 23.
“It was truly my hope to build from that experience and those connections with people across our province and put forward my vision of how we could build a province and government that truly reflected the incredible diversity, profound strength and progressive values of Albertans,” he said yesterday.
With Mr. Shepherd’s departure from the leadership contest, former justice minister Kathleen Ganley and Edmonton-Whitemud MLA Rakhi Pancholi are officially in, while former health minister Sarah Hoffman is expected to declare her candidacy on Sunday.
That leaves former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and perhaps Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse as likely possible candidates.
Since Mr. Nenshi served a decade as mayor of Alberta’s largest city with a considerable following but is not an NDP member and has been unenthusiastic about party politics in the past, the idea of him running for leader has generated both controversy and enthusiasm in party circles.
Candidates have until March 15 to file their papers.
David Shepherd is a really great MLA. Sorry to hear about his health issues, and I wish him all the best. We definitely need the NDP back in power, in Alberta, because they were the closest thing we ever had to the good and principled governance of Peter Lougheed. These Ralph Klein clones, and phony Conservatives and Reformers in the UCP are making a horrible mess of things.
I’m sad to see that David Shepherd is not running. I wish him well.
I’m sorry to hear that David Shepherd is not running for the NDP leadership, but he’s been pretty quiet the last while. He was much more outspoken during his first term. I listened to Kathleen Ganley and Rakhi Pancholi’s announcements, and have heard Sarah Hoffman speak over the years. I’m disappointed. They all seem to be too “nice.” They are all very knowledgeable people; they just don’t seem to have any fire. The speech by Naheed Nenshi that is circulating on social media has fire. I understand it’s a race for the leadership and successful candidate will need support from inside the NDP. However, shouldn’t they be also demonstrating that if they become leader, they will stand up to Danielle Smith and the UCP? As a side note, I really don’t want the carbon tax axed. That would cut my annual income by about $1000, and I can’t afford it. I’m sure I’m not the only senior that lives on CPP and OAS.
Sorry to hear. How about Brooks Arcand – Paul? He’d be a breath of fresh!
If the NDP is to win the next election, it won’t be won in rural Alberta. They already have Edmonton, which is a good thing. |If they want to win, they need to gain a few more seat in Calgary. Like it or not, the one person who has the best chance of winning seats in Calgary is Nenshi. Anyone chosen from Edmonton won’t move the needle where it must be moved.
David Shepherd reluctance to enter the campaign is a considerable loss. He’s been an excellent MLA and very good communicator.