Nenshi received the most approval in the leadership contest

Alberta's NDP membership will expire in less than a week as the race to replace Rachel Notley as leader shifts to another reduction.

Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi is in pole position with nine endorsements, including Calgary-Glenmore MP Nagwan Al-Guneid, who said in a video posted on X earlier this week that Alberta needs vision, not moratoriums, on climate and energy policy. .

“It needs a government that offers a vision for Alberta's energy sector in a climate-conscious world,” he said.

On Tuesday morning, the former Minister of Justice Kathleen Ganley eight approved, including financial critic Shannon Phillips.

In a social media post, Ganley is urging people to buy memberships and vote for their leader and future prime minister.

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RELATED: Edmonton MLA drops out of NDP leadership race, backs Naheed Nenshi

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It was just last month Nenshi reported he joined the NDP leadership race in Alberta, where party membership has more than doubled since then.

According to Al-Guneid, the opposition needs Nenshi in the next elections.

“In 2027, we need the same pragmatic vision and leadership,” he said.

This led a competitor Rakhi Pancholi to announce he is dropping out of the race to support the former Calgary mayor.

“Last December, the party had 16,000 members, and then all of a sudden they're down to about 30,000, and Pancholi said that was largely because of Naheed Nenshi,” Alberta political commentator Graham Thomson told The Big Story Podcast.

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He claims the party's membership has grown to 80,000 this week and suggests the outcome of the leadership race could determine the future of a rocky relationship with the federal NDP.

There is much debate about the party's relationship with the federal NDP, especially after the party's defeat in the 2023 election.

Nenshi suggested it's time to cut the apron strings, and Hoffman believes it's important to maintain that connection.

Thomson said Nenshi's comments about severing ties with the federal NDP caused some controversy.

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READ MORE: 'A piece of history': Alberta NDP leadership challengers link up with federal parties.

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Recently, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding energy and environmental policy.

Former Deputy Prime Minister Sarah Hoffman in third place according to the support of party members – four.

Five candidates remain in the race, including Nenshi, Ganley, Hoffman, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour Gil McGowanand first-term Edmonton MLA Jodi Kalahu Stonehouse.

According to the party constitution, members of the provincial party are automatically members of the federal party.

Notley's successor will be announced on June 22.