Former premier Rachel Notley, the leader of the Alberta NDP and Official Opposition, is stepping down.
A source confirmed the resignation to Global News on Tuesday morning.
The Canadian Press reported Tuesday that in a recent interview, Notley said there will now be a race to replace her, and she plans to stay in the job until a new leader is picked.
Notley said she may or may not remain as the member for Edmonton-Strathcona until her term ends in 2027.
And she hasn’t ruled out running again for the NDP.
Notley is scheduled to make “an important announcement” at noon on Tuesday in Edmonton.
Notley made history on May 5, 2015, when she and the NDP were elected in Alberta and ended more than four decades of government rule in Alberta by the Progressive Conservatives.
As premier, Notley and the NDP introduced legislation to eliminate union and corporate donations to political parties, raised the minimum wage, built more than 200 new schools, funded two new hospitals in Edmonton and Calgary, and initiated a $25-per-day childcare program.
However, in April 2019, the newly formed United Conservative Party, led by leader Jason Kenney, won the provincial election.
In a rare political move, Notley stayed on, becoming the only Alberta premier to take another run at the job after being defeated.
When Kenney resigned years later after receiving 51.4 per cent support in a leadership review vote, Danielle Smith was chosen as UCP leader and took over as premier.
