4 candidates shrug off suggestion Nenshi has Alberta's NDP leadership in the bag
Despite Edmonton MLA Rakhi Pancholi's insistence Naheed Nenshi is front-running the race to lead Alberta's NDP, the other four candidates tell CTV News they're confident nothing has been decided yet.
"I think it's premature to position Nenshi as the head leader in this race," Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse said Tuesday.
"This is my life's work, and I'm committed to seeing it to the end."
The current MLA says her "progressive position around water" sets her ahead of the pack.
"It's Alberta's most precious resource, and we need to be strategically protecting it to ensure the next generation has the water they need, as well as industry," Calahoo Stonehouse said.
"It really is the basis of our economic diversification."
Another Edmonton MLA, Sarah Hoffman, said Tuesday she's "never felt better" about her campaign.
"My three big pillars are health care, climate change and housing, and there are a lot of people who are really happy to have a leader of the NDP and a premier who's going to take serious action on those things," Hoffman said.
"I'm staying in it, I'm going to be in it at the end and I'm going to win this campaign."
Fellow MLA Kathleen Ganley has also been a popular choice amongst Alberta voters in the past.
She brushed aside any talk of Nenshi winning the race a few months early on Tuesday.
"I'm going to stay focused on our offer to Albertans," Ganley said.
"What we know is that we're selling thousands of memberships and we have people coming forward every day to support the campaign. So, I'm really excited."
Ganley has been banging the economic drum since the first day of her campaign.
She wants to "stimulate job creation, support local business and foster innovation," while helping everyday Albertans with their finances.
She'll be challenged by Alberta Federation of Labour president Gil McGowan.
"I represent the working party," McGowan said Tuesday.
"(And) I fundamentally disagree with (Pancholi) that this is a done deal."
McGowan took aim at Nenshi on Tuesday.
"Frankly, I don't think it's good enough from the perspective of most Albertans to say 'I’m a nice guy, I'm a celebrity, support me.'"
The window to buy Alberta NDP memberships closes on April 22.
Rachel Notley's successor will be chosen two months later, on June 22.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Slovakia's populist prime minister shot in assassination attempt, shocking Europe before elections
The Slovak defence minister says doctors are fighting for the life of the country's prime minister, who was shot multiple times after a political event Wednesday afternoon.
Transport Canada's UFO 'lead' planned to meet with U.S. intel officials, called info requests a 'wild goose chase'
Canada's transportation department had a UFO 'lead' who tried to 'quell' media interest and planned to meet with U.S. intelligence officials.
'Very expensive lunch': Sask. driver handed a cell phone ticket for using points app in McDonald's drive-thru
A warning from a Saskatoon driver about using your fast-food app while in the drive-thru line — a trip to get some free lunch cost him a lot more than he bargained for.
'The Fly' has become notorious in France after a brazen escape. What's his criminal history?
A prisoner nicknamed “The Fly” has become notorious in France overnight after a daring and bloody escape from a prison convoy in Normandy that left two guards dead.
BREAKING Ontario's 'crypto king' Aiden Pleterski arrested
Aiden Pleterski, the self-proclaimed 'crypto king' from Whitby, Ont., has been arrested in Durham Region after allegedly running a Ponzi scheme worth more than $40 million.
BREAKING Barge hits a bridge in Texas, damaging the structure and causing an oil spill
A barge hit a bridge in Galveston, Texas, on Wednesday, spilling oil into surrounding waters and closing the only road to a small island, officials said.
Person responsible for 1996 drugging of 'Titanic' crew likely not a local: Halifax police
Halifax Regional Police believe a non-resident could be responsible for the infamous drugging of numerous crew members of the 'Titanic' movie with a hallucinogenic in 1996.
Latest updates on the biggest wildfires burning in Canada
Thousands of people in Western Canada remain displaced from their homes as wildfires threaten their communities, triggering evacuation orders and alerts.
OPINION Your attention span is shrinking, studies say. Here's how to stay focused: Sandee LaMotte
Regaining your focus requires you to be mindful of how you are using technology -- a daunting task if you consider the average American spends at least 10 hours a day on screens.