Alberta election 2015 results: NDP wave sweeps across province in historic win

It's a massive shock that turns Canadian politics on its head: the NDP has wona majority government in Alberta.

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"I think we might have made a little bit of historytonight," leader Rachel Notley told her supporters Tuesday night."Friends, I believe, that change has finally come to Alberta. New people, new ideas and a fresh start for our great province."

The NDP won 53 ridings.Wildrosetook 21 seats, while the PCs took 10.There was a tie in one Calgary riding Calgary-Glenmore between the PCs and NDP. A recount will take place in the next few days.

The Liberals and the Alberta Party each claimed one seat.

Notley believesthe election was record-setting in terms of the number of women elected.

• Alberta Votes 2015:Results, riding information and more

The WildroseParty will be the province's Official Opposition, andleader Brian Jeanhas been elected in his riding of Fort McMurray-Conklin.

The long-governing PC Party dropped to third place. The outgoing premier Jim Prentice told his supporters late Tuesday that he had resigned as party leader and had resigned his seat.

"My contribution to public life is now at an end," Prentice said.

The NDP wonjust over41per cent of the popular vote, the Wildrosegot24 per cent and the PCs were at about 28 per cent roughly what was reported by many pollsters in the run-up to the election.

Voter turnout was 58.1 per cent, according to Elections Alberta.

Rachel Notleyto beAlberta's new premier

Notleyis Alberta's next premier. Her campaign wastouted ashaving"shades of Jack Layton,"referring to the late federal NDP leader.

The NDP'sprevious best showing in Alberta was in 1986 when the party took 16 seats, but by 1993, it was shut out of the legislature.

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper congratulated Notley on her win.

"I look forward to working with future Premier Notley on issues of importance for Albertans and all Canadians, including creating jobs, economic growth and long-term prosperity across the province and country," Harper said in a statement issued Wednesday.He also offered thanks to Prentice, a former minister in his cabinet.and wished him well in his future endeavours.

Alberta is traditionally Canada's most conservative province, but anger at the long-governing Progressive Conservative Party seems to have spurred an orange wave that has sweptover most parts of the province.

Prenticecalled the electionin April with 70 out of the 87 seats in the legislature.It was touted as a coronation for Prentice, oncea Conservative MP recruited to fixtheparty's woes following the resignation ofAlison Redford.

He had askedAlbertansto give him a mandate after bringing in a "bad-news" budgetwhen the election was called.

But over the campaign, there was a shift in momentum. It became a three-way horse race between the PCs, Wildrose and NDP.

Notleya leader 50 years in the making

• Follow our live blogas reporters tweet from the field

Notley was born with orange roots.

Her father, Grant Notley, was the provincial NDP leader from 1968 until he was killed in a plane crash in 1984.

After Brian Mason resigned as NDP leader last year, Notley easily defeated her opponents towin70 per cent of the vote.

The NDP won the majority of Calgary's ridings areas where the PCs were supposed to hold onto power.

The NDPalso sweptthe provincial capitaland made gains in rural northern Alberta.

Alberta Party wins seat

Greg Clark secured the Alberta Party'sfirst seat in the provincial legislature. He led hisparty tomore than two per cent of the popular vote.

Clark beat out former education minister Gordon Dirks in the riding of Calgary-Elbow.

Only three of Prentice's cabinet ministers won their seats: Wayne Drysdale, Manmeet Bhullar and Ric McIver.

Albertans also punished the Wildrose floor-crossers in tonight's vote. All of the MLAs who migrated to the PCs last year lost their seats.

Liberal Leader David Swannmanaged to hold onto his seat in Calgary-Mountain View, but the party only received roughly four per cent of the vote. Swann is now the only Liberal MLA in the Alberta Legislature.

• Alberta election results: A map of then and now