Nenshi and Harper endorsements set tone for final weekend of Alberta's election

But maybe Albertans made up their minds a long time ago.

There are two days left until Election Day in Alberta.

I was planning on taking a short break from writing election commentary this morning, but I decided I had a few thoughts I wanted to share about some recent high-profile election endorsements.

Alberta NDP leader Rachel Notley and former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi (source: Rachel Notley / Twitter)

Former Calgary mayor Naheed Nenshi endorsed the Alberta NDP and joined leader Rachel Notley on a whistle stop tour through 8 Calgary ridings yesterday afternoon.

The normally non-partisan Nenshi penned a thoughful endorsement of the NDP earlier in the day:

“I’ve never done this before, and I take it very seriously. It’s not because it brings out the colour of my eyes – well not just because it brings out the colour of my eyes. Purple is a combination of red and blue and I wear it to remind myself and others that we are not defined by our political tribe but by our common humanity.

For me, this means not only being in the political centre, but also that I need to engage with politics and elections fluidly and based on the context of the moment, as well as who is running. I have voted for at least four different parties provincially and federally, and for municipal candidates all over the ideological map. And this time, I’m voting NDP.”

He and his conservative former rival Jeromy Farkas have both been publicly critical of the United Conservative Party during the campaign.