2015 Wildrose Party leadership election

2015 Wildrose Party leadership election
DateMarch 28, 2015[1][2]
ConventionSheraton Cavalier,
Calgary[3]
Resigning leaderDanielle Smith
Won byBrian Jean
Ballots1
Candidates3
Entrance Fee$20,000[2]
Spending limit$30,000[2]
Wildrose Party leadership elections

The 2015 Wildrose Party leadership election was triggered December 17, 2014, following the decision by leader Danielle Smith and eight other MLAs to leave the Wildrose Party and cross the floor to join the ruling Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta (PCs). The party announced the next day that it would appoint an interim leader and hold an election to choose a permanent leader in 2015.[4] Former Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament Brian Jean was elected leader over two other candidates on March 28, 2015.

Under the party's constitution, within 15 days of Smith's resignation, it had to set a date for party members to choose a new permanent leader.[5] Smith tendered her resignation on the morning of December 17, 2014.[6] In a letter to the party's executive, Smith recommended that party members vote on a "reunification resolution" to merge with the PCs as soon as possible, a course of action that the executive rejected.[4][6]

The party's constitution also stipulates that the leadership election had to be held between three and nine months after the position becomes open, in this case between March and September 2015.[7]

Each candidate had to pay a non-refundable $20,000 deposit and receive endorsement signatures from 250 party members.[8]

The party executive announced on January 23, 2015, that the election was to be held on June 6, 2015, and that party members will be able to vote in person at venues around the province or by mail-in ballot; results were to be announced at the Coast Plaza Hotel in Calgary.[2][9][10]

Voting was by means of a ranked ballot(Instant-runoff vote). Originally, voters were required to rank all three candidates. However, due to objections, this was changed to allow voters to rank either one, two, or all three candidates. (the ranking of the third was actually not necessary - the back-up preferences would be used only if the first choice was eliminated, and after the first choice was eliminated, that would leave just two in the running and one or the other would have majority in the very next vote count to win the contest.)[11]

However, due to the likelihood of an early provincial election, the date of the leadership vote was moved up with the vote to be conducted by a telephone ballot in a 12-day period from March 16 to 28, 2015, with results announced at the Sheraton Cavalier in Calgary.[12][1]

Brian Jean was declared elected, having received a majority of the vote on the First Count.

  1. ^ a b Passifiume, Bryan (February 22, 2015). "Alberta Wildrose Party sets date for fast tracked leadership vote". Calgary Sun. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  2. ^ a b c d Wood, James (January 23, 2015). "Wildrose announces June 6 leadership contest". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on January 24, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  3. ^ "United Conservative Party". unitedconservative.ca. Retrieved August 27, 2020.[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ a b Kleiss, Karen (December 18, 2014). "Wildrose party rejects Danielle Smith's 'reunification proposal'". Archived from the original on January 2, 2015.
  5. ^ Wood, James (December 17, 2014). "Wildrose plots next move after mass defection of MLAs". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on December 18, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  6. ^ a b Wood, James (December 17, 2014). "Wildrose MLAs and leader bolt to Tories, leaving opposition decimated". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on December 17, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  7. ^ Wood, James (December 18, 2014). "Wildrose must choose new leader after loss of MLAs". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  8. ^ Bennett, Dean (February 23, 2015). "Wildrose leadership race ramps up on weekend with candidate speeches". Global News. Canadian Press. Archived from the original on February 25, 2015. Retrieved February 25, 2015.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference rules was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ "Wildrose Party leader to be announced June 6". CBC News. January 23, 2015. Archived from the original on January 24, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2015.
  11. ^ "Wildrose Party leadership vote resumes after process adjustment". CBC News. March 17, 2015. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference newdate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).