Edmonton-Whitemud MLA Rakhi Pancholi has dropped out of the Alberta NDP leadership race.
In a statement Tuesday morning, Pancholi said she is ending her campaign to throw her support behind former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi.
Pancholi said NDP leadership candidates recently received an update on membership sales, the first such update since Nenshi joined the race.
“Those numbers show that, in the span of a week, Naheed has more than doubled the size of the Alberta NDP’s membership,” she said.
Global News has reached out to the NDP for more information on the membership numbers.
“Growing our party has always been and will continue to be my first priority. Rather than compete with each other, I want to unite us behind our shared visions and mutual goals,” Pancholi said. “We must move forward to offer a positive alternative to the UCP that Albertans can enthusiastically support in the next election.
“And I believe that means uniting behind the next leader, Naheed Nenshi.”
Pancholi said the decision to leave the race was not easy.
“I have loved every moment of this journey,” she said. “The Albertans I’ve talked to, the members I’ve shared a coffee with, and the incredible team of people who have given their time, ideas and passion to our campaign have been unforgettable.
“I’m so proud of the race that I’ve run and grateful to the thousands of Albertans who have supported me in the vision of building an Alberta NDP that creates opportunity for all of us — and for all our children.”
Pancholi said she is looking forward to working with Naheed “as we build this new vision.”
“He has grown our party by bringing tens of thousands of Albertans into the Alberta NDP, broadening our movement significantly,” she said in her statement.
Pancholi announced in February her intention to enter the Alberta NDP leadership race.
There are now five people vying for the party’s top job: Nenshi, Calgary-Mountain View MLA Kathleen Ganley, Edmonton-Glenora MLA Sarah Hoffman, Edmonton-Rutherford MLA Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse and Gil McGowan, the longtime leader of the Alberta Federation of Labour.
— more to come…