Alberta is gearing up for its May 29 election, with the United Conservative Party’s Danielle Smith and her mouth facing off in a race that could be deemed a month-long train wreck. Smith, who is the incumbent premier, has been generating unnecessary political grief with her loose-lipped approach. She has been causing controversy, such as declaring the treatment of unvaccinated individuals to be the worst human rights violation she has ever seen, which has turned her into a liability for the party. However, the NDP opposition under Rachel Notley lacks a campaign narrative beyond replacing Smith with adult supervision.
The consensus is that the UCP will dominate the rural areas of Alberta, while being wiped out in Edmonton, making Calgary the queenmaker in the vote. Smith grandstanded at the announcement of a new NHL arena for the Calgary Flames, warning that the deal may be contingent on her re-election, in an attempt to sway unimpressed UCP voters in Calgary to her side. Notley is making negative noises about supporting the deal, but a better tactic for Smith might be to put herself in hiding for the next month and only surface for heavily-scripted appearances. Victory or defeat is on the tip of Smith’s tongue, and the race could go either way.