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Ward 13 Coun. Dan McLean announced he intends to seek the United Conservative Party nomination to run in the riding of Calgary-Shaw.
McLean was first elected to city council in 2021 and won his riding for a second term in last October’s election.
Calgary-Shaw is represented by former UCP cabinet minister Rebecca Schulz. She resigned from cabinet in December and said she would stay on until this month to represent her riding.
A byelection will be triggered when she leaves. Under provincial law, it must be called within six months after a seat is vacated.
McLean said he has been speaking with Calgary-Shaw constituents following her resignation.
“I have been encouraged to step forward because residents want a continuation of the strong, principled leadership Rebecca has demonstrated, and I would be honoured to carry that work forward,” McLean said in a statement.
McLean said he proudly supports Premier Danielle Smith and her government and wants to see the UCP win again in the next provincial election.
“We cannot afford to go backwards. I believe my experience and proven track record will be an asset to the UCP team as we work to keep Alberta moving forward,” he said.
Mayor Jeromy Farkas offered his praise to McLean for his work on council.
“He’s been a great constituency representative. He got the largest share of votes of any of the other council colleagues that I get to work with,” Farkas said Friday.
“He’s been a leader on financial responsibility, on public safety, and I certainly wish him the best in his endeavours.”
Rules governing councillor running provincially
Under the Municipal Government Act, a councillor is no longer eligible for their seat if and when they become a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta.
The Alberta Election Act says a councillor may take an unpaid leave of absence when a byelection writ is issued and return to council if their bid is unsuccessful.
Duane Bratt, political scientist at Mount Royal University, says that might be the best course of action, given the demanding schedule of city council.
Bratt says jumping between different levels of government is common, though he says McLean could risk upsetting some constituents who voted him onto council only months ago.
But he sees McLean as a strong candidate for the nomination — and if he wins, all but guaranteed a byelection win in what’s seen as a safe UCP seat.
“He has a high profile in the city. He is clearly a conservative figure. He has ties to the UCP,” Bratt said. “He would be very difficult to beat in a nomination.”