Thousands of members from Alberta's governing United Conservative Party (UCP) are convening in Edmonton this weekend, with party leadership openly acknowledging the need to reverse its historical struggles in the provincial capital.
A Strategic Gathering in the Capital
The UCP's annual general meeting commenced on Friday at the Edmonton Expo Centre, drawing as many as 4,500 party members. While Premier and party leader Danielle Smith is not facing a leadership review, attendees will vote on the composition of the party's board and debate dozens of policy resolutions covering topics from flags and vaccines to the potential purchase of the RCMP.
In an interview, Smith emphasized the party's commitment to understanding the unique needs of Edmontonians. "We just have to do the work of identifying the issues that matter more in the Edmonton area than anywhere else," Smith stated, pointing to her government's investments in the city's LRT system, a Downtown event park, and post-secondary institutions.
Overcoming a History of Electoral Challenges
Since its formation in 2017, the UCP has found winning in Edmonton to be a significant challenge. The party has secured only one of a possible 40 seats in the city throughout its existence. The lone victory was Kaycee Madu in Edmonton-South West in 2019, who later served as deputy premier but was defeated in the 2023 election following a traffic ticket scandal.
The party's difficulties were further highlighted in two recent Edmonton byelections. The UCP had hoped to make gains in Edmonton-Ellerslie, but its candidate finished second with 38 percent of the vote. In the 2023 general election, the closest the party came to a win was a 1,737-vote defeat in Edmonton-Decore. Overall, the number of votes the UCP received in Edmonton ridings saw a slight decrease, though nearly 130,000 Edmontonians still cast their ballot for the party.
Looking for a Conservative Resurgence
Bobbi Menard, one of two Edmonton directors on the UCP's board, offered analysis on the party's local performance. "Edmonton is an interesting case of a unique type of conservative that's not political and that it's not big on change," Menard said.
She recalled that the Progressive Conservative Party, one of the UCP's forerunners, regularly elected Edmonton MLAs as recently as 2012. "There's good reason that half of our founding party was so successful in Edmonton for generations," she noted, adding, "There is still a good reservoir of people who are interested."
The weekend gathering represents a concerted effort by the governing party to connect with the city's voters, tailoring its message and policies to the specific concerns of Alberta's capital in the hope of a future electoral breakthrough.
