Edmonton Public School Board chair will run for federal NDP

Trisha Estabrooks announced Thursday that she is seeking the nomination for the NDP in the federal riding of Edmonton Centre.

She has served two terms as an Edmonton Public Schools trustee in Ward D, which includes the Edmonton Centre riding.

“This is where I’ve represented for the last seven years as a school board trustee,” Estabrooks said. “I know the issues in this part of the city and I’m determined to continue to listen to people and learn more.”

For the last four years, Estabrooks has been the EPSB chair, but has resigned that post. She will, however, continue to serve as trustee.

“There are big issues impacting the lives of kids and families in our city, including access to affordable housing and the increased cost of living,” Estabrooks said.

“I look forward to building upon my work as a trustee and advocating for change at a national level.”

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In a news release, Estabrooks said Edmontonians need more representation in Ottawa “that speaks for them,” to build more affordable housing, address the toxic drug supply crisis and act on climate change.

“I want a more equitable, caring and just future for our kids, for families, for Edmontanians,” she said. “Together, we can make change happen in Edmonton Centre.”

Currently, the Edmonton Centre riding is held by Liberal MP Randy Boissonnault.

“It’s going to be a tall order but we’ve seen slippage in support for Liberals,” said MacEwan University political science professor Chaldeans Mensah.

The next federal election is scheduled to take place on or before Oct. 20, 2025.

“The NDP wants to build on Edmonton Strathcona and Edmonton Greisbach and they think this is a riding that is ripe for pickup,” he said.

4:35 ‘We have been passed over for new builds’: Edmonton Public School Division needs more locations

“Edmonton Centre is a very important riding,” Mensah said. “It’s right in the heart of the city of Edmonton … It’s a typical swing riding. It’s been known to produce cabinet ministers.”

He pointed out that former Liberal deputy prime minister Anne McLellan represented Edmonton Centre.

“Symbolically, it’s a very competitive riding,” Mensah said.

“The three parties, the leading parties — Liberal, NDP and Conservatives — have a shot there.

“It’s got a history of really flipping back and forth between the Liberals and the Conservatives typically, by Alberta standards, very razor-thin margins.”

Mensah said having at least two big names — in the Liberal incumbent and NDP candidate — competing for that riding could backfire.

“The difficulty there is that it’s a strong progressive voting block there and the NDP typically tends to hurt the Liberals. Any time there’s a pickup by the Conservatives in that riding, it means the votes split between the Liberals and the NDP.”

He said Estabrook is a well-known figure in the community.

“Public school board, media background, strong name recognition. I think if she works very hard to translate some of the support that the NDP enjoys in that riding into a federal level, you can never rule out anything.”