You can already see the fight shaping up and it promises to be a no-holds-barred brawl.

The UCP vs. the NDP. Premier Danielle Smith vs. Alberta NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi.

Your scribbler speaks to the premier after a nose count floats around showing Smith’s UCP are up by double-digit percentage points over Nenshi’s NDP, winning by a wider margin than the last go-round.

Even more than a few who have battled hard in the NDP trenches and kept the faith through the good times and the bad now question Nenshi’s leadership.

Your weekday lunchtime roundup of curated links, news highlights, analysis and features.

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Those who backed Nenshi as a political messiah who could easily rid Alberta of what they see as the evil Danielle Smith didn’t do their homework.

In 2026, Nenshi is just not that big a star. Still, anything can happen in politics with just over a year before Albertans vote on who should be the government for this province.

How does Smith see the next election campaign shaping up?

“We’ve got a byelection coming up in Calgary-Shaw very shortly so we’ll be able to see the contrast,” says Smith.

There is no date yet for the byelection in south Calgary. The Calgary-Shaw seat was held by the Conservatives until Smith government insider Rebecca Schulz left politics.

Smith says the difference between her and Nenshi........

© Calgary Herald