A 'relieved' Jason Kenney says he won't run in the UCP leadership race
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says he will not be running in the race to pick a new leader of the United Conservative party.
Kenney announced the news on his call-in radio show Saturday morning.
"No," he said.
"If that was the case, I would have stepped down as leader earlier this week."
It was the first time Kenney took questions surrounding his surprise decision this week to step down, despite winning a party leadership review.
He captured just 51.4 per cent of the vote in the party member mail-in ballot.
Kenney had previously been adamant a majority win — 50 per cent plus one — would be enough to stay on, but he backtracked Wednesday.
The premier says he expected a higher margin of support based on conversations he had been having around the province.
"You get an electoral mandate of over one million votes and 16,000 people can essentially upend it," he said. "But that's the process that we have."
Kenney also revealed some surprising feelings after hearing the vote results from the UCP party president.
"I have to tell you, the first thought that went through my mind was a little bit of relief," he said.
"I've been in elected life for 25 years, and it was never my expectation to be in this job for a long time."
When asked about his decision to stay in the party's top spot, the premier launched into a speech about his campaign promises and the current Alberta economy.
Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt believes that messaging was calculated.
"He's doing it to help his reputation and create a narrative about why he is stepping down," Bratt told CTV News.
"He's trying to establish his legacy, and the best way to do that is by staying on as premier."
When asked about the leadership speculation Kenney laid to rest Saturday, Bratt also had some thoughts. While the political scientist said he largely believes the promise, he doesn't think this will be the last hurrah for Kenney.
"He's also previously said 'no' on a lot of things pretty definitively," Bratt said. "So, never say never. I could see a scenario where he does get drafted to run again or orchestrates a draft for him to run again."
Kenney told radio listeners that at 53 years old, he is too young to retire. He also expressed excitement about having time to pursue some personal things that he has had to put off for years.
With files from The Canadian Press
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.