Jason Kenney

Jason Kenney, born on May 30, 1968, is a prominent Canadian politician who served as the 18th premier of Alberta from 2019 to 2022. He was also the leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) from 2017 until 2022 and represented the Calgary-Lougheed constituency in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta during the same period. Kenney played a pivotal role in the political landscape of Alberta, being the last leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservative Party before its merger with the Wildrose Party to form the UCP.

Before his foray into provincial politics, Kenney had an extensive career in federal politics, holding various cabinet positions under Prime Minister Stephen Harper from 2006 to 2015. His political journey began when he was elected to the House of Commons in the 1997 federal election as a member of the Reform Party, later re-elected multiple times as a Canadian Alliance and Conservative Party candidate.

Kenney's educational background includes studying philosophy at the University of San Francisco, although he did not complete his degree. His early career saw him as the first executive director of the Alberta Taxpayers Association, followed by a leadership role at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. His significant contributions to Canadian politics included serving as the minister for citizenship, immigration, and multiculturalism, and later as the minister of national defence.

In July 2016, Kenney announced his candidacy for the leadership of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives, which culminated in his election as party leader in March 2017. He successfully led the UCP to a majority government in the 2019 Alberta general election, defeating incumbent Premier Rachel Notley. However, his tenure faced challenges, particularly regarding his management of the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a leadership review in May 2022. Despite narrowly winning the review, Kenney decided to step down as UCP leader, remaining in office until October 11, 2022, when he was succeeded by Danielle Smith.