The NDP wins Calgary-Shaw and conservatives link the loss to the referendum

Sep 14, 2026Moment 7 of 7

The NDP wins Calgary-Shaw and conservatives link the loss to the referendum

Moment dated Sep 14, 2026; earliest linked report published Sep 15, 2026.

WHAT HAPPENED

The NDP's Kyle Campbell won the Calgary-Shaw byelection, 7,461 votes to 6,879 in unofficial results. He beat the candidate of Smith's United Conservative Party (UCP). The riding was created in 1986, and the NDP had won it only once before, in 2015. Former premier Jason Kenney helps lead the remain group Vote to Stay. He wrote that 'A vote to separate is a vote to help the NDP win the next provincial election'. Cory Morgan, a commentator who leads a group advertising for separation, blamed 'Smith trying to play on both sides of the unity issue'. Lori Williams, a political scientist at Mount Royal University, called it a 'significant loss'. She said byelections are hard to read and that health care and affordability also played a significant role.

Why this matters

A riding the NDP had won once since 1986 changed hands five weeks before the referendum. Within a day, people on both sides of the separation question were citing the result.

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Reported observation Statement documented

The NDP won the September 14, 2026 byelection in Calgary-Shaw, a riding that has long voted conservative. The count was 7,461 votes to 6,879 in unofficial results. Former premier Jason Kenney, who helps lead the remain group Vote to Stay, and other conservatives linked the loss to the October 19 referendum. Cory Morgan, a commentator who leads a group advertising for separation, said Premier Danielle Smith had angered her own base.

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