Brian Jean wins Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche byelection

The man working to swipe Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s job took a big step toward that ultimate goal Tuesday night, winning a byelection while carrying the United Conservative Party flag.

Former Wildrose Party leader Brian Jean won the riding of Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche, receiving roughly 60 per cent of the vote.

“I ran on the message that Jason Kenney needs to be replaced, needs to leave. And tonight the people of Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche have spoken and they want him to leave. They agree with me,” Jean said during his victory party Tuesday night.

Jean has been calling for the resignation of Kenney for months, insisting that the first-term premier will lose to the opposition NDP in a general election scheduled for May 2023.

“To unify we need him to go. He’s a great talker but he’s terrible at making decisions,” Jean said.

The Fort McMurray-based lawyer and businessman has been rallying people to vote against Kenney in an April 9 leadership review, even turning down door knocking help from UCP MLAs in favour of that cause.

"This whole byelection is really, really weird. You don't normally see all the candidates opposing the government of the day. You don't normally see the premier's party candidate explicitly running against the premier.

"So this is all bizarro world," Mount Royal University political scientist Duane Bratt commented, adding Jean's victory was no surprise given his local popularity. 

"The people of Fort McMurray really like Brian Jean and they're going to be happy with his representation. Whether he can do that for the rest of the province remains to be seen." 

Jean, a former MLA and MP, defeated NDP candidate Ariana Mancini on Tuesday.

She also finished second to Jean in the 2015 provincial election. Mancini captured roughly 17 per cent of the vote the second time around.

Mancini in a statement thanked her team for their effort and promised residents to "never stop seeking improved outcomes for my community.”

Wildrose Independence Party leader Paul Hinman finished third with roughly 11 per cent.

Jean resigned as a UCP MLA for the area in 2018 after he lost a leadership vote to Jason Kenney in 2017.

Kenney offered congratulations to Jean on Twitter Tuesday night.