United Conservative Party leader and Alberta Premier Danielle Smith will remain at the helm of the party after she secured 91.5% support in a leadership review at the party’s Annual General Meeting on Saturday.
Every third AGM in non-election years features an automatic leadership review. Members voted by secret ballot on the question, “Do you approve of the current leader?”
To be eligible to vote, voters had to be party members since at least Oct. 11, 2024, registered for the AGM, and physically present at the meeting.
To avoid a leadership election, leaders need to receive at least 50% “Yes” votes on the yes or no question from the secret ballot.
Former premier Jason Kenney resigned after receiving only 51.4% approval in the last review, despite surpassing the 50% approval threshold required to avoid the leadership election.
Smith’s decision to stay on was made much easier, given she received 91.5% on the vote.
Approximately 6,085 people attended the AGM and the majority voted in the leadership review. Additional ballots on some UCP board member voting were provided to members on top of their leadership review ballot.
Members voted discreetly and then deposited their ballots into a box, which would be counted later.
Some members who attended wanted Smith to win but voted against her to teach her a lesson.
For example, Wyatt Claypool, journalist and former Conservative candidate, told True North that he voted no despite wanting Smith to win. He argued that she had not been clear enough on some key issues like tax cuts and would learn nothing if she got a 100% vote.
He said he was 100% sure Smith would win given that even Kenney won his review, despite widespread opposition. He resigned despite receiving just over the 50% threshold.
Smith said that it was a miracle the votes were tallied so quickly, given that no tabulators were used.
The AGM, held in Red Deer, began on Friday with discussions among MLAs, opening ceremonies, governance debates, and voting.
However, things escalated on Saturday with speeches, reports, and the board election and leadership review.
Smith also gave a keynote speech, and policy debates and voting occurred before the leadership review results were announced at 5:30 pm
Every of the 35 policy resolutions passed, but they are non-binding.
Smith took the stage once more after being reaffirmed as leader, thanking her members for the overwhelming support and promising to defeat NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi in the next election.
This leadership review was the first Smith faced since she became leader in 2022.
Had Smith lost the vote, a leadership election would have been held. Leadership candidates for the election would have had to have been party members for at least six months, be Canadian citizens, be at least 18 years old, provide a nomination petition signed by at least 500 members, and more.
