Laila Goodridge resigns seat as Fort McMurray MLA to run for federal Conservatives

A provincial byelection will be held in northeastern Alberta after MLA Laila Goodridge resigned her seat to run in the Sept. 20 federal election.

Goodridge tendered her resignation to the clerk on Sunday afternoon, said Nathan Cooper, Speaker of the Alberta legislature. Elections Alberta is required to hold a byelection within six months.

The move came one day after David Yurdiga, the Conservative MP for Fort McMurray-Cold Lake, announced that he would not be running again for health reasons. 

"Serving as your MP would be the honour of a lifetime," Goodridge wrote in a Sunday night Facebook post announcing her intentions.

Goodridge has been the MLA in the riding since 2018, when she won a byelection after former Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean resigned his seat.

Since 2019, the bilingual Goodridge had served as the United Conservative Party government's parliamentary secretary for the Francophonie.

Before her successful venture into politics, Goodridge worked for the Opposition Wildrose Party. She served as a disaster recovery specialist for Jean and Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Tany Yao after a devastating 2016 wildfire in Fort McMurray.

She has also worked for the federal conservatives in Ottawa and as a constituency assistant to former Calgary Conservative MP Joan Crockatt.