EDITOR’S NOTE: This article originally said the Alberta Party’s leadership race began last March. It has been corrected to say it began in November.
The Alberta Party says its membership numbers have multiplied by over six times from where they were almost a year ago.
According to numbers released by the party, the number of members has risen by 539 per cent since last March. In November, Greg Clark resigned as party leader, triggering a leadership race.
In March, there were 1,024 card-carrying members of the party. Now there are 6,543. In the last two days of eligibility, 1,969 new members were signed up. The membership drive ended on Feb. 12.
“We are very excited about the growth our party has shown in the past 11 months, but we know this is just the first step. We must continue to grow and connect with our communities across Alberta,” said party president Rhiannon Hoyle.
“These numbers demonstrate that Albertans are excited about the Alberta Party and the potential for a clear third option, and we will continue to work diligently to expand our reach across Alberta by bringing positivity and solution-based opposition to Albertans,” Hoyle said.
Voting for a leader will take place from Feb. 25 to Feb. 27.
There are three candidates in the running: former Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel, Calgary MLA Rick Fraser and Calgary lawyer Kara Levis.