EDMONTON -- Alberta's opposition New Democratic Party has won the provincial byelection in Lethbridge-West, holding onto a riding it has held since 2015.
According to the unofficial vote count late Wednesday night, the Elections Alberta website reports that NDP candidate Rob Miyashiro secured 7,239 votes with all 57 polls reporting.
The United Conservative Party's John Middleton-Hope trailed him by 1,150 ballots.
The Alberta Party's Layton Veverka finished the race a distant third with only 233 votes.
Early vote results showed 18 per cent of the riding's 37,000 eligible voters had cast advance ballots, down from 28 per cent in the 2023 general election.
The legislature seat was left vacant after New Democrat MLA Shannon Phillips resigned on July 1.
The byelection was the first test of the party's appeal under new leader Naheed Nenshi.
The official results will be announced Dec. 28.
This report by was first published Dec. 18, 2024.