2015 Wildrose Party leadership election

• April 23, 2012: The Wildrose Party under Smith wins 17 seats in the 2012 provincial election, up from zero in the 2008 election and four at dissolution, and forms the official opposition for the first time. • March 20, 2014: Premier Alison Redford resigns as leader of the PCs following an expense scandal. • September 6, 2014: In the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election Jim Prentice is elected leader. • September 15, 2014: Prentice is sworn in as premier. • October 27, 2014: Four by-elections are held, all of which are won by the PCs. • October 28, 2014: As a result of the by-election losses, Smith asks the party to conduct a leadership review. • November 2, 2014: Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre MLA Joe Anglin leaves the Wildrose caucus to sit as an independent. The remaining members of caucus unanimously pass a resolution asking Smith to withdraw her request for a leadership review; Smith agrees. Instead, the party kept the current policy, which generally commits it to "recognize that all Albertans have equal rights, privileges and responsibilities." • November 24, 2014: Innisfail-Sylvan Lake MLA Kerry Towle and Little Bow MLA Ian Donovan leave the Wildrose Party and join the PCs. • December 17, 2014: Nine Wildrose Party MLAs, including leader Danielle Smith and House Leader Rob Anderson cross the floor to join the PCs; Smith tenders her resignation as Wildrose leader and ask the party executive to hold a vote of the party's rank and file on merging Wildrose and the PC Party. The Wildrose executive rejects Smith's proposal and pledges to hold a leadership election in the new year. • December 23, 2014: The Speaker of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, Gene Zwozdesky, declares that the Wildrose Party will retain official opposition status. • January 2, 2015: Deadline for the Wildrose executive to set a date for the election of a new leader. Party announces that the election will be sometime between March 17 and September 17 and that "further details with respect to the exact dates, rules and voting procedures will be delivered to all members on or before January 23, 2015." • January 23, 2015: Deadline for party to announce rules and process for leadership election. • February 20, 2015: Linda Osinchuk announces her candidacy. • February 26, 2015: New election date and voting process announced. • March 16, 2015: Telephone voting begins. ==Declared candidates==

===Drew Barnes=== ;Background MLA (Cypress-Medicine Hat 2012–present), :Support from provincial caucus members: :Support from federal Members of Parliament: :Support from former provincial caucus members: :Other prominent supporters: :Policies: ===Brian Jean=== ;Background Lawyer and former Conservative MP (Athabasca, 2004-2006; Fort McMurray—Athabasca, 2006-2014), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (2006-2011). :Support from provincial caucus members: :Support from federal Members of Parliament: :Support from former provincial caucus members: :Other prominent supporters: Wildrose candidates Derek Fildebrandt (Strathmore-Brooks), a former spokesman for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation who had been touted as a prospective leadership candidate; :Policies: Wants to "clean up" the health care system and deal with alleged financial mismanagement in the provincial government. :Date declared: February 26, 2015 :Support from provincial caucus members: :Support from federal Members of Parliament: :Support from former provincial caucus members: :Other prominent supporters: Wildrose candidates Sharon Smith (Leduc-Beaumont) and Jaye Walter (Spruce Grove-St. Albert) :Policies: Supports fiscal responsibility but also supports Gay Straight Alliances in schools and inclusion of LGBT people in society. ==Disqualified==

• Rob Anders, Conservative MP (Calgary West 1997–2015), initially told the Calgary Herald he has "no inclination at this stage" to run for leader, Wildrose president Jeff Callaway suggested Anders may not meet the eligibility requirement to be a candidate as he had not been a party member for the required six month minimum prior to the vote. On January 23, the party executive announced that Anders was disqualified from running because he was not a member as of January 10, 2015, and that no waiver will be given allowing him to run. ==Declined==

• Derek Fildebrandt, former Alberta director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, • Shayne Saskiw, MLA (Lac La Biche-St. Paul-Two Hills, 2012–present), Wildrose House Leader. • Pat Stier, MLA (Livingstone-Macleod 2012–2019) • Jeff Willerton, 2009 Wildrose leadership candidate and author of "Fix Canada". ==Results==

Turnout was 34.5% Brian Jean was declared elected, having received a majority of the vote on the First Count. ==References==