Six years after first being elected as a public school trustee, former CBC journalist Trisha Estabrooks announced Thursday she wants to sit as a member of parliament in Ottawa.
Surrounded by supporters at a cafe on 124 Street, Estabrooks announced she is stepping down as board chair of Edmonton Public Schools to run for an NDP nomination.
Estabrooks wants to be on the ballot for the New Democrats in Edmonton Centre, a seat currently held by Liberal Randy Randy Boissonnault.
"If I am the candidate, I will make sure we do all we can to win this seat from the status quo, 'all talk, no action Liberals,' and protect it from going to the 'profits before people Conservatives.' I am all in," she told supporters.
Edmonton Centre has flipped between Boissonnault for the Liberals and James Cumming of the Conservatives in the last three elections, but the New Democrats finished a close third in 2021.
There is no known date for the next federal election but one has to happen before Oct. 20, 2025.
The federal NDP currently holds two Alberta seats, the ridings of which surround the eastern boundary of Edmonton Centre.
"I think this is a really interesting development," said political scientist Lori Williams from Mount Royal University.
"This far out from a federal election, it's clear the NDP is trying to expand its hold in Edmonton and see a chance for doing in that Edmonton Centre. It's a bit of a reach, but it's interesting."
Williams believes Estabrooks would bring "credible experience" to the ballot, which may push the NDP over the top in the riding for the first time.
Her candidacy might also further split the centre-left vote which could help the Conservatives win a tight race, Williams said.
"This just tells us that there is a little bit more democratic competitiveness happening in some of these Alberta ridings in a way that we didn't see for quite a few years," she said.
Estabrooks' bio with Edmonton Public Schools says she is a mother of two and a strong advocate for anti-racism, reconciliation with Indigenous people and climate change solutions.
She intends to stay on as trustee for Ward D while she seeks the NDP nomination.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Jeremy Thompson
