It’s official. The battle for a former Alberta cabinet minister’s old riding will be fought next month. A byelection for Calgary-Shaw was called Monday afternoon, for Sept. 14. With the writ issued, at least four provincial political parties are sending candidates door-knocking. Mike Derry has been the reigning United Conservative Party’s pick to take over the currently vacant seat in legislature for a while now. Kyle Campbell has been announced as the one Alberta’s New Democrats is placing their hopes on. It was announced Tuesday morning Alberta Liberal Leader John Roggeveen is stepping into the fray himself. And Kyle Joseph is running for the Progressive Tory Party of Alberta. Candidate nominations remain open. They close 2 p.m. Aug. 27. Advance voting begins Sept. 8 and ends Sept. 12. Day-of voting runs Sept. 14 from 9 a.m. through 8 p.m. Unofficial results are expected day-of. Official results are expected 10 a.m. Sept. 24. Mike Derry Derry’s website states his priorities as “affordability, education, health care and greater transparency in government.” It says the UCP’s candidate believes in “open, honest communication—even when conversations are challenging.” “Calgary-Shaw is my home and I want to give back to the community that has given my family so much,” he said in a press release. Derry said he’s “listening and will continue to listen.” He said he’ll “work hard for residents, represent their priorities and make sure Calgary-Shaw has a strong voice in government.” On X, Premier Danielle Smith noted her party’s work to “create jobs, attract investment and get more Alberta energy to world markets.” She said Derry is “ready to build on this work.” She said he’ll “listen to his constituents and make sure Calgary-Shaw has a strong voice at the legislature.” Kyle Campbell The NDP’s literature states Campbell’s choice to run stems from his concerns about “separation and affordability.” It says he was also “spurred by his own experience battling stage 4 cancer.” “I saw firsthand what’s at stake when our system isn’t working the way it should,” Campbell said in a press release. Campbell said what matters is “being able to count on getting timely health care and having a government that cares about affordability for all families.” He said he’s running because he “knows Albertans deserve so much better than what the UCP government is providing.” Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi said Campbell “knows what families are going through because he’s living it.” He wants to see South Calgary send a message to Smith: “Stop taking Calgary for granted, stop gaslighting us, and stop with this separatist nonsense,” he said in a press release. “The best way to send that message is to send Kyle Campbell to the legislature.” John Roggeveen Roggeveen is looking to win the Alberta Liberals a legislative seat after some time without one. He said he’s heard from Calgary-Shaw residents they are “unhappy” with the UCP, “unsold” on the NDP and looking for door number 3. He said they’re looking for “an alternative to the increasingly polarized choice.” “Calgary-Shaw voters should not have to choose between two political extremes,” he said in a press release. “Alberta Liberals believe in growing our economy, supporting working families, protecting public services and making decisions based on what works—not ideology or labels.” Roggeveen’s announcement comes after he’d thought he was stepping down this past December. His said at the time it was due to “having some health issues” and “still practising as a sole-practitioner lawyer.” He told CTV News Tuesday his health is “back to as normal as it’s going to be.” “I have that recent personal experience with 10- and 11-hour and longer waits for treatment at hospital emergencies,” he said. “It’s just one of the messes in this province that we need to fix.” Kyle Joseph Campbell’s website states it’s his mission to bring “practical, decision‑informed, honest leadership to Calgary‑Shaw” It says his intention is to do it “by putting service before ideology, accountability before excuses and results before political theatre.” He noted he’s “a teacher, lifelong Calgarian and product of Alberta’s unique story.” “I am running to help build a government that listens, spends responsibly, protects public trust and works for the people it serves,” he said on his website. His run at the Calgary-Shaw seat will be an early effort by former UCPer Peter Guthrie’s Progressive Tories to shake up the right. Previously Rebecca Schulz resigned from provincial government cabinet and UCP caucus late last year. She left the cabinet effective Jan. 2. She left the caucus in the spring. She served at various times as minister of environment and protected areas, minister of children services and minister of municipal affairs. Her resignation came amid a petition for her recall as MLA. The recall petition against Schulz was one among a spate targeting more than two dozen MLAs, the premier included. During a sit-down with CTV News, Schulz said she’s “proud of the work” Smith’s government is doing. “That makes it always tough to step away,” she said in May. “But I’ve been in politics for 16 years now, first as a staffer then working in government and then as an elected official. “So there always comes a time to move on.” She was one of several people who ran against Smith in 2022 for control of the UCP.
