Rachel Notley’s announcement last week that she’s stepping down as leader of the Alberta NDP concludes a political run unlike any other.
Notley will best be remembered as the NDP leader who did the unthinkable — win a provincial election in Alberta — and although a pair of electoral losses followed 2015’s historic victory, she continued to make the party relevant.
What’s probably most important about her time in office is the breakthrough for the NDP under her leadership as the long-time also-rans set themselves up as the primary opposition to the conservatives in Alberta, and delivered a powerful wake up call to what is now called the United Conservative Party. There is no divine right of rule in Alberta. If the voters get riled up and decide to throw you out, they will.
Notley rode that orange wave of anger toward the former regime, the Progressive Conservatives, to a majority government, and later took Calgary away from the United Conservatives in last year’s election — all the while uniting the progressive vote in the province in a way it has never been united behind any one party before.
Last week’s announcement wasn’t surprising given the result of last spring’s provincial election, a contest that Notley basically stuck around to fight because her party didn’t have another potential leader with sufficient name recognition to try and topple the United Conservatives.
The NDP had realistic designs on forming government in the last election, but when Premier Danielle Smith was able to cobble together enough rural and suburban seats to pull out a majority, the writing was on the wall for Notley’s time as leader.
Whoever leads the NDP into the next election will have Notley to thank for a party that’s no longer an afterthought, but rather a viable alternative in the minds of many voters.
No matter what comes next for the former premier, her legacy is secure.
