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
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
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.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
AFN chief says Air Canada offered a 15% discount after her headdress was mishandled
After the Assembly of First Nations' national chief complained to Air Canada about how staffers treated her and her ceremonial headdress on a flight this week, she says the airline responded by offering a 15 per cent discount on her next flight.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.