Lethbridge MLA resigns, opening potential seat for leadership hopeful Naheed Nenshi

One of Alberta’s most prominent New Democratic Party MLAs is set to resign, opening a potential seat for perceived leadership front-runner Naheed Nenshi and setting the stage for a feisty by-election in the southern part of the province.Shannon Phillips, who was first elected in Lethbridge-West in 2015, told The Globe and Mail she will step down on July 1. Ms. Phillips served as the Minister of Environment and Parks when the NDP ruled the province between 2015 and 2019, during which time she accelerated Alberta’s phase-out of coal-fired power plants. She defended her seat in the 2019 and 2023 spring elections, landing in opposition benches.