A political newcomer has defeated a sitting city councillor to win the United Conservative Party nomination in Calgary-Shaw.
Mike Derry, who runs a talent agency following a career in oil and gas, defeated Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean in the race after a vote of party members in the riding Wednesday night.
The south Calgary suburban riding was represented by former cabinet minister Rebecca Schulz, who vacated her seat last month after she announced her resignation from cabinet in December.
“Thank you to the folks of Calgary Shaw for allowing me the opportunity to represent the UCP on the next ballot,” Derry wrote in a social media post. “I am over the moon.”
McLean, who was re-elected to Calgary city council in October, announced he was seeking the nomination in Calgary-Shaw early last month after weeks of speculation he would toss his hat in the ring.
It’s his second campaign for the riding’s nomination, after he ran against Schulz in 2018. Three years later, he ran for and won a seat on city council in Ward 13.
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McLean, who was seen by many as the favourite in the race, took to social media to congratulate Derry.
Premier Danielle Smith made an appearance in the riding following the nomination vote, which she described as a “very close race.”
“I also want to sincerely thank Dan McLean for putting his name forward,” she wrote on social media. “Dan has been a strong advocate for Calgary and I know he will continue making a positive difference for our city and our province.”
Although several former Calgary city councillors have sought a seat in Alberta’s legislature, McLean was believed to be the first sitting councillor to do so since 2009, when his predecessor Diane Colley-Urquhart ran for the governing Progressive Conservative Party in a byelection in Calgary-Glenmore.
Colley-Urquhart, who served as city councillor for Ward 13 between 2000 and 2021, finished third in the race and was re-elected to city council the following year.
A byelection for Calgary-Shaw hasn’t been called, but provincial law requires one to be called by mid-November.
The next provincial election is scheduled for October 2027.
Who cares. Both human turds