page_title: 2015 Wildrose Party leadership election
section_title: Brian Jean
hierarchical_section_title: 2015 Wildrose Party leadership election / Declared candidates / Brian Jean
caption_attribution_description: English: Brian Jean, leader of the Wildrose Party of Alberta since March 28, 2015
context_page_description: The 2015 Wildrose Party leadership election was triggered December 17, 2014, following the decision by leader Danielle Smith and eight other MLAs to leave the Wildrose Party and cross the floor to join the ruling Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta. The party announced the next day that it would appoint an interim leader and hold an election to choose a permanent leader in 2015. Former Conservative Party of Canada Member of Parliament Brian Jean was elected leader over two other candidates on March 28, 2015.
  Under the party's constitution, within 15 days of Smith's resignation, it had to set a date for party members to choose a new permanent leader. Smith tendered her resignation on the morning of December 17, 2014. In a letter to the party's executive, Smith recommended that party members vote on a "reunification resolution" to merge with the PCs as soon as possible, a course of action that the executive rejected.
  The party's constitution also stipulates that the leadership election had to be held between three and nine months after the position becomes open, in this case between March and September 2015.
context_section_description: Background
  Lawyer and former Conservative MP (Athabasca, 2004-2006; Fort McMurray—Athabasca, 2006-2014), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities (2006-2011).
  Date declared:  February 25, 2015
  Support from provincial caucus members:
  Support from federal Members of Parliament:
  Support from former provincial caucus members:
  Other prominent supporters: Wildrose candidates Derek Fildebrandt (Strathmore-Brooks), a former spokesman for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation who had been touted as a prospective leadership candidate; Kathy Macdonald (Calgary-Mackay-Nose Hill); Hardyal Singh Mann (Calgary-McCall); Kathy Rondeau (Stony Plain); Wayne Anderson (Highwood); Bill Jarvis (Calgary–South East); Darryl Boisson (Lesser Slave Lake); Jaye Walter (Spruce Grove-St. Albert); Travis Olson (Athabasca-Redwater);  Leela Aheer (Chestermere-Rocky View); Chris Kemp-Jackson (Calgary-Glenmore); Gerard Lucyshyn (Calgary West); Jason Nixon (Rimbey-Rocky Mountain House-Sundre); Jae Shim (Calgary-Hawkwood); Jeremy Nixon (Calgary-Klein); Todd Loewen (Grand Prairie–Smoky)
  Policies: Wants to "clean up" the health care system and deal with alleged financial mismanagement in the provincial government.
caption: Jean in 2015
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