Alberta NDP's Rob Miyashiro wins Lethbridge-West, according to Elections Alberta unofficial results

Lethbridge-West byelection candidates, left to right: the UCP's John Middleton-Hope, the NDP's Rob Miyashiro and the Alberta Party's Layton Veverka. (Sources: United Conservative Party of Alberta, Alberta New Democratic Party, Alberta Party)

It looks like the Alberta NDP has won the battle for Lethbridge-West.

According to Elections Alberta's unofficial results from Wednesday night’s byelection, Rob Miyashiro won over the United Conservative Party's John Middleton-Hope and the Alberta Party's Layton Veverka.

Elections Alberta's website showed 13,561 valid votes cast.

Of that, 7,239 went to Miyashiro.

Middleton-Hope had 6,089, while Veverka had 233.

The announcement of official results will be made on Dec. 28, the website says.

It was expected to be a tight race between Miyashiro and Middleton-Hope.

The two were campaigning even before the race was called.

"We're working hard, and I think that's all we can ask. That's all any campaign can ask," Miyashiro said before the vote.

"Our volunteers are working hard, our staffers, all the campaign workers.

"So, we're just pushing right to the end. We're pulling votes right up until the polls close."

The constituency was a conservative stronghold for 40 years before Shannon Phillips managed to win the seat for the Alberta NDP in the past three elections.

It was the only constituency in southern Alberta to vote NDP in the 2023 election.

Phillips stepped down on July 1.

With party leader Naheed Nenshi by his side, Miyashiro was welcomed with boisterous applause by supporters.

"I'm ecstatic, I'm humbled and I'm also so proud that the people of Lethbridge-West have elected me," Miyashiro said.

"We talked about issues that were important to people in Lethbridge-West and we didn't stray from those points because we heard early on what the concerns were of people in Lethbridge-West.

"I think that resonated with people that we were actually advocating for points they were so concerned about."

It was a very close battle, with the Alberta NDP and UCP frontrunners neck-and-neck from the second the first ballots were counted.

But Miyashiro pulled away when the advance votes started coming in later in the evening.

"We went from 8,000 members to 85,000. We are the largest provincial political party in Canada. We just won a byelection that was completely stacked against us; the wind is in our sails," Nenshi said.

At UCP headquarters, Middleton-Hope arrived earlier in the evening to meet with supporters.

Several UCP MLAs and ministers were in attendance.

The room remained optimistic until the advance votes started coming in.

"I'm grateful for all the people that helped on this campaign. Congratulations to Rob and to his team. They did a good job," Middleton-Hope said.

"And you know what? I'm just so grateful for all the people that we met at the doors that inspired us. All the folks that helped on the campaign were just incredible. And then my campaign manager, my wife, my family, they were just incredible.

"The voters have spoken, and we'll just move forward from here."

With files by Damien Wood, Quinn Keenan and Karsen Marczuk