Calgary

UCP dominates in southern Alberta ridings — but 1 district remains close

Southern Albertans have voted in United Conservative candidates for much of the region, CBC News projects.

Nearly all electoral districts will be taken by United Conservative candidates, projections suggest

United Conservative Party supporters celebrate in Calgary. The southern Alberta ridings outside of the Calgary area have been dominated by the UCP. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press)

Southern Albertans have voted in United Conservative candidates for much of the region, CBC News projects.

Twelve of the 13 electoral districts in southern Alberta outside of the Calgary area are projected to go to UCP candidates.

The CBC Decision Desk is projecting a United Conservative Party majority government.

One district, Lethbridge-West, remains incredibly tight and will not be called election night. By 11:50 p.m. Tuesday, NDP incumbent Shannon Phillips was 1.6 percentage points ahead of her UCP competitor.

Advance votes cast outside of the riding will be counted starting Wednesday and may be enough to shift the riding away from Phillips.

If she can hang on, it'll be the NDP's only southern Alberta seat outside of the Calgary area.

This map shows the projection that the UCP has won in much of southern Alberta. (CBC Decision Desk)

The first projected winner in the province went to the southern Alberta riding of Brooks-Medicine Hat for UCP candidate Michaela Glasgo.

The UCP was also projected to win the following in the south half of the province:

  • Lethbridge-East.
  • Cypress-Medicine Hat.
  • Cardston-Siksika.
  • Olds-Disbury-Three Hills.
  • Livingstone-Macleod.
  • Innisfail-Sylvan Lake.
  • Drumheller-Stettler.
  • Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre.
  • Red Deer-North.
  • Red Deer-South.
  • Taber-Warner.

Not enough votes have yet been counted in Lethbridge-West to make a projection. So far, the riding is seeing a tight race between the UCP and the NDP.

The results have streamed in as well for Calgary and area, a key battleground in the 2019 election, and it looks like the United Conservative Party is taking a bite out of the NDP there as well.

You can check on ridings in the Calgary area, as well, and for the rest of Alberta.

Work being done on a Saskatchewan farm.
Southern Alberta looks fairly conservative after the early ballot count Tuesday. (Tory Gillis/CBC)

Keep up to date on the latest from this region by watching this page and following along with CBC's live election coverage.

There will be no final results in any riding on election night, Elections Alberta has said.

The delay is because any advance votes cast outside a voter's riding won't be counted until Wednesday. That process could continue to Saturday — and about 223,000 advance votes fall into that "vote anywhere" category.

As a result, in ridings where the race is close and there is a significant number of "vote anywhere" votes, the CBC Decision Desk will not be able to make a projection of a winner in that riding on election night.

Brooks-Medicine Hat

CBC's Decision Desk projects UCP candidate Michaela Glasgo as the winner for Brooks-Medicine Hat, a new riding that mixes urban and rural. She won just over 61 per cent of the vote, projections suggest.

The NDP's candidate is an experienced political staffer and current councillor but she failed to win more support than Glasgo, a political science graduate. There was no incumbent running.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Michaela Glasgo, United Conservative Party.
  • Lynn MacWilliam, Alberta NDP.
  • Collin Pacholek, Alberta Independence Party.
  • Jamah Bashir Farah, Alberta Liberal Party.
  • Jim Black, Alberta Party.
  • Todd Beasley, Independent.

Cardston-Siksika

With just over 73 per cent of the vote, the UCP is projected to win Cardston-Siksika, a new riding with boundaries that a political scientist predicted would weight in the UCP's favour.

The riding is home to Indigenous communities and farmers, making this an interesting riding to watch.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Joseph Schow, United Conservative Party.
  • Kirby Smith, Alberta NDP.
  • Casey Douglass, Alberta Party.
  • Cathleen McFarland, Alberta Liberal Party.
  • Ian A. Donovan, Independent.
  • Jerry Gautreau, Freedom Conservative Party.

Cypress-Medicine Hat

Cypress-Medicine Hat is projected to go to the UCP candidate, incumbent Drew Barnes, with nearly double the votes of the second-place NDP candidate.

This is a redrawn riding. Barnes, previously elected for the Wildrose Party, faced off against a retired teacher for the NDP and three others.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Drew Barnes, United Conservative Party.
  • Peter Mueller, Alberta NDP.
  • Terry Blacquier, Alberta Advantage Party.
  • Anwar Kamaran, Alberta Liberal Party.
  • Colette Smithers, Alberta Party.

Drumheller-Stettler

Drumheller-Stettler is projected to see UCP candidate Nate Horner win 77 per cent of the vote.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Nate Horner, United Conservative Party.
  • Holly Heffernan, Alberta NDP.
  • Jason Hushagen, Alberta Independence Party.
  • Mark Nikota, Alberta Party.
  • Greg Herzog, Alberta Advantage Party.
  • Rick Strankman, Independent.

Innisfail-Sylvan Lake

Innisfail-Sylvan Lake has been taken by the UCP, with nearly 72 per cent of the vote, according to early counts.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Devin Dreeshen, United Conservative Party.
  • Robyn O'Brien, Alberta NDP.
  • Brian Vanderkley, Alberta Advantage Party.
  • Chad Miller, Freedom Conservative Party.
  • Danielle Klooster, Alberta Party.
  • Ed Wychopen, Independent.
  • Lauren Thorsteinson, Reform Party.

Lethbridge-East

After a tight race, Lethbridge-East has been won by the UCP with nearly 51 per cent of the vote, projections show. The NDP came in second place with 39 per cent.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Nathan Neudorf, United Conservative Party.
  • Maria Fitzpatrick, Alberta NDP.
  • Ally Taylor, Alberta Party.
  • Devon Hargreaves, Alberta Liberal Party.
  • John W. McCanna, Alberta Independence Party.

Lethbridge-West

The NDP's Shannon Phillips is trying to hang on to her seat in a tight race against Karri Flatla of the UCP. Phillips was a high-profile cabinet minister, overseeing environment, parks and climate change.

As of 11:50 p.m., Phillips held 45.5 per cent of the vote to Flatla's 43.9 per cent. However, the advanced votes cast outside of the riding won't be counted until Wednesday.

Candidates:

  • Karri Flatla, United Conservative Party.
  • Shannon Phillips, Alberta NDP.
  • Zac Rhodenizer, Alberta Party.
  • Pat Chizek, Alberta Liberal Party.
  • Ben Maddison, Alberta Independence Party.

Livingstone-Macleod

The UCP is projected to win Livingstone-Macleod with nearly 70 per cent of the vote.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Roger Reid, United Conservative Party.
  • Cam Gardner, Alberta NDP.
  • Dylin Hauser, Alberta Liberal Party.
  • Tim Meech, Alberta Party.
  • Vern Sparkes, Alberta Independence Party.
  • Wendy Pergentile, Green Party of Alberta.

Olds-Disbury-Three Hills

Olds-Disbury-Three Hills will be taken by the UCP with more than 78 per cent of the vote, projections say.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Nathan Cooper, United Conservative Party.
  • Kyle Johnston, Alberta NDP.
  • Allen MacLennan, Freedom Conservative Party.
  • Chase Brown, Alberta Party.
  • Dave Hughes, Alberta Advantage Party.

Red Deer-North

The UCP is projected to win Red Deer-North with nearly 61 per cent of the vote. This seat is a gain for the party.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Adriana LaGrange, United Conservative Party.
  • Kim Schreiner, Alberta NDP.
  • Matt Chapin, Freedom Conservative Party.
  • Michael Neufeld, Alberta Independence Party.
  • Paul Hardy, Alberta Party.

Red Deer-South

The UCP is projected to win Red Deer-South with nearly 58 per cent of the vote. This seat is a gain for the party.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Jason Stephan, United Conservative Party.
  • Barb Miller, Alberta NDP.
  • Lori Curran, Green Party of Alberta.
  • Ryan McDougall, Alberta Party.
  • Teah-Jay Cartwright, Freedom Conservative Party.

Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre

Incumbent Jason Nixon, who won the seat for the Wildrose Party in the last election, is projected to win with more than 81 per cent of the vote, after facing off against seven challengers.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Jason Nixon, United Conservative Party.
  • Jeff Ible, Alberta NDP.
  • David Rogers, Alberta Independence Party.
  • Dawn Berard, Freedom Conservative Party.
  • Gordon Francey, Independent.
  • Jane Drummond, Green Party of Alberta.
  • Joe Anglin, Alberta Party.
  • Paula Lamoureux, Alberta Advantage Party.

Taber-Warner

The riding of Taber-Warner is projected to go to UCP candidate Grant R. Hunter with nearly 77 per cent of the vote.

Candidates:

  • PROJECTED WINNER: Grant R. Hunter, United Conservative Party.
  • Laura Ross-Giroux, Alberta NDP.
  • Jason Beekman, Alberta Party.
  • Amy Yates, Alberta Liberal Party.

You can find full coverage on the  CBC Calgary and  CBC Edmonton websites and tune in to our election broadcast starting at 7:30 p.m. MT on:

Or, listen to the radio special starting at 8 p.m. MT on CBC Radio One.

Follow along with CBC's election live blog: