Smith's slim margin of victory suggests a challenge for the Alberta election
While Danielle Smith, the new leader of the Alberta UCP, did come away with a victory Thursday night, it didn't happen until the final ballot was tallied.
Political experts say a situation like that suggests she will have a tough time in the upcoming election.
"It was a bit of a squeaker. There were some real shocked faces in the room when the first ballot came in and she was below 44, 43, 41 per cent – was a bit of a shocker," said ThinkHQ's Marc Henry in an interview with CTV Calgary Morning Live on Friday.
"You knew it was going to be perhaps a longer night than you expected."
Henry says with about 230 days to go before an election, the UCP "jettisoned" a leader with 51 per cent support and then installed a new leader with just 54 per cent approval.
"It doesn't exactly scream 'unity.' Danielle Smith has a pretty significant task ahead of her, trying to bring that party back together and in a very short period of time," he said.
Henry says the UCP was built on one premise – to defeat the NDP in an election – so it's natural that a lot of their thinking doesn't connect.
"They were sewn together for electoral purposes. So, it's a fairly young party in that sense – they don't have a lot of history."
He adds some of the viewpoints that Smith touched on in her victory speech were appealing to UCP voting members, but might be less palatable by a wider range of Albertans.
"(They) would be seen as more extreme views to the mainstream of the electorate. At some point, she is going to have to tailor her message to capture a broader audience."
Henry says Calgary will be "the battleground" for Smith in next year's election and while her rhetoric may work in some communities, it likely won't there.
"It's going to come down to Calgary to decide who will be government in the next election – there are a lot of seats here. So, it's very important to both the NDP and the UCP that they capture the majority of seats in Calgary."
According to data, there are approximately 124,000 registered members of the Alberta UCP and about 83,000 cast ballots were cast in the leadership vote.
Smith claimed victory, and the office of Alberta's premier, with just 53.8 per cent or about 45,000 ballots.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Canada recognizes housing as a human right. Few provinces have followed suit
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
'Violation': CSIS had officer investigated after she reported a superior raped her
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
Pro-plastic lobbyist presence at UN talks is 'troubling,' say advocates
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.