Battleground Calgary: Alberta NDP move election campaign HQ to city's core

The Alberta New Democratic Party has a new home ahead of the 2023 provincial election — the expected battleground of Calgary.

On Sunday, Opposition leader Rachel Notley confirmed her party will be moving its campaign headquarters to the city's downtown core. It's a strategic move, one expert says, and reflects a narrative political watchers have speculated on for months.

Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt says Notley and the NDP need to win big in Calgary to overcome the United Conservative Party's projected rural stronghold.

"Even if they sweep northeast Calgary, and a couple of the others that are close to downtown, that puts them at 11, 10, 12," he said in an interview Sunday.

"That's not good enough … with the exception of the real deep south and maybe Calgary-West, they're going to have to win everything else."

In their 2015 election-winning year, the NDP won a record total of 15 seats in Calgary. That number dwindled down to only three seats during the 2019 election.

Bratt said without the Wildrose Party around to split votes this time, the stakes are even higher.

'Community-specific campaign'

The campaign office shift allows candidates to get to know voters and tackle issues pertaining to them specifically, Notley said.

"We're going to see a very focused, community-specific campaign," Notley said.

"Our path to victory … is about focusing on the kinds of issues that are going to make life better for Albertans here in Calgary and all across the province."

Notley cited issues like the provincial police force in the communities surrounding Edmonton and health care, education and affordability in Calgary as points of concern for Albertans.

Speaking to reporters at a party conference on Sunday, Notely acknowledged the importance of securing seats in Calgary.

"We're doing a lot of work here, right across the city," she said.

"No question, there's lots of seats in Calgary and you can bet I will be spending at least a third of my time here."

Despite the shift away from an Edmonton-based campaign centre, Notley said she would not neglect the city her party is expected to win seats in.

"I'm proud that Edmontonians have had a chance to become familiar with what it's like to have an NDP MLA and that we have a high level of trust there," Notley said.

"I also know that it is something one never takes for granted. We earned that trust initially, and we have to work very hard to keep that trust."