Prasad Panda of the Wildrose Party came out on top in the Calgary-Foothills byelection held on Thursday, meaning that the party has a seat in Calgary once more.
Panda won in the election with nearly 4,900 votes, or about 38 percent support. The runner up, Bob Hawkesworth of the NDP had about 3,300 votes, or 26 percent support.
The victory is a big win for the Wildrose, who lost both of their seats in the City of Calgary this past May.
The result was also a big defeat for the Tories, with their candidate Blair Houston finishing third with about 2,700 votes or 22 percent support.
Prior to Panda’s win, the Tories have held the riding for the past 40 years.
The addition brings the Official Opposition from 21 seats to 22, with the party saying that shows there is support to win government in the future.
This was the third time voters in the riding needed to go to the polls after former Premier Jim Prentice, who won in the riding back in May, quit politics and left his seat vacant.
