Former UCP Deputy Leader and former Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Leela Aheer made it official Tuesday Morning on Real Talk with Ryan Jespersen that she was running for the leadership of the governing United Conservative Party.
Aheer said in the interview with the Edmonton based online show that the challenge will be to unify the party, "This is a challenge to actually unify and bring folks together not because it's a top-down approach, but because we are actually engaging with Albertans and hearing what they need.
"(We need) to understand and feel how people are doing," Aheer added.
Aheer is expected to make a formal launch on Wednesday, June 8th.
In December 2021, The Cross Border Interviews sat down with Aheer and spoke about her duty to serve and elected politics.
Aheer becomes the second sitting UCP MLA to announce their intentions to seek the leadership. Former Finance Minister Travis Toews announced earlier this week that he would be seeking the leadership.
Others who have announced include former Wildrose-turned PC MLA Danielle Smith.
Aheer was first elected in 2015 as a Wildrose MLA in the riding of Chestermere-Rocky View.