Edmonton MLA drops out of NDP leadership race, endorses Naheed Nenshi
Posted Mar 26, 2024 8:19 am.
Last Updated Mar 26, 2024 9:54 pm.
Rakhi Pancholi is dropping out of the race to be the next leader of Alberta’s NDP and endorsing former Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the Edmonton MLA says leadership candidates were given an update on membership sales for the first time since the race started.
Running for Alberta NDP leader has been the honour of my career. I’m so proud of the bold, hopeful and optimistic story we told about Alberta.
But today, I’m ending my campaign to support Naheed Nenshi in our shared goal of growing this party in every corner of our province. pic.twitter.com/5cPswdojmV
— Rakhi Pancholi (@pancholi_rakhi) March 26, 2024
In the span of a week, the former Calgary mayor has more than doubled the size of the Alberta NDP’s membership.
“It’s an incredible accomplishment and invites so many more people into our movement,” Pancholi said. “Growing our party has always been and will continue to be my first priority. Rather than compete with each other, I want to unite us behind our shared visions and mutual goals.”
Mount Royal University political science professor Lori Williams says it’s likely Pancholi didn’t see herself coming out on top in the end.
“I have to assume that Rakhi Pancholi saw herself as not really in a position to win the leadership and she’s chosen to put her support behind someone he thinks can do what’s best for the party,” she said.
But, Williams believes the pair coming together will be good for the party.
“The two most dynamic candidates running for the leadership have joined forces,” she said. “They have a lot of energy and capacity to reach out to potentially new members of the party, to expand the base of the party.”
Pancholi continued to say ending her campaign was “not an easy decision,” but that moving forward to the next election the aim is to provide a “positive” alternative to the UCP that Albertans can support.
She believes Nenshi is the person to get that done.
“I am looking forward to working with Naheed as we build this new vision,” she continued. “He has grown our party by bringing tens of thousands of Albertans into the Alberta NDP, broadening our movement significantly.”
The former mayor thanked Pancholi in a statement on social media and vowed to work together to “build a better Alberta.”
“Rakhi, you inspire thousands with your message of optimism and opportunity,” wrote Nenshi. “Thank you for running a thoughtful, powerful campaign.”
Williams says for Nenshi, gaining support from a long-term party member is essential.
“This is an important thing — have someone who has a member of the party for some time — unlike Naheed Nenshi — joining with him, she’s essentially signaling that the future of the party and the future of the Official Opposition and potential government, in her view, lies with Naheed Nenshi,” she explained.
Considered a frontrunner in the race by many, Nenshi has also been publicly endorsed by over 6,000 Albertans, according to his website, including musician Jann Arden and actor Andrew Phung.
-With files from Shilpa Downton
