Unofficial election results show NDP incumbent MLA Shannon Phillips serving a third term for Lethbridge-West, with Lethbridge-East a tight race between the United Conservatives and New Democrats.
As of just after midnight on May 29, Phillips had 11,788 votes, and the UCP’s Cheryl Seaborn had 9,371, with 94 per cent of the votes counted.
While the Lethbridge-East was a tight race, which was projected shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday, MLA-elect Nathan Neudorf took the result with 11,003 votes to NDP candidate Rob Miyashiro’s 10,258.
Phillips addressed media at the Owl Acoustic Lounges moments after NDP Rachel Notley finished her concession speech, which was live streamed at the local event.
“It’s just profound gratitude that I have had the honour of representing this city now for my third term, which I owe entirely to the voters of Lethbridge-West, to the volunteers who have worked so hard on my campaigns over the years and to the people of Lethbridge who have made a very clear choice that they are looking for s strong voice to stand up for public healthcare, for public education, for better jobs going forward and a province that respects the rule of law,” Phillips said.
She said a UCP majority is not what she and her party hoped for, but she will continue to advocate for her riding as the official opposition.
“This is the largest opposition in some time if not ever and there is no question that we are united behind our leader Rachel Notley to ensure that no decision around public healthcare, our pensions or any of the other proposals by Danielle Smith that she hid during this campaign go unchallenged by a strong, effective, experienced opposition who knows exactly what our values are.”