Marlaina Danielle Smith ECA MLA is a Canadian politician, former lobbyist, and former columnist and media personality who has been serving as the 19th premier of Alberta and leader of the United Conservative Party (UCP) since October 2022.
Smith attended the University of Calgary and earned degrees in English and economics. After briefly serving as a trustee for the Calgary Board of Education, she worked as a journalist in print, radio and television, during which she shared opinions on politics and healthcare.
Between 2015 and 2022, Smith worked in talk radio and served as the president of the Alberta Enterprise Group. Upon Premier Jason Kenney’s resignation announcement on May 18, 2022, Smith announced her campaign in the United Conservative Party leadership election. Smith’s campaign gained national attention, particularly due to her proposals to extend Albertan autonomy. On October 6, Smith won the leadership on the sixth count. She was sworn in as premier on October 11 and became MLA for Brooks-Medicine Hat on November 8, 2022. She led the UCP to re-election as a majority government in the 2023 general election.
Danielle Smith is a proud Albertan. As Leader of the governing United Conservative Party, she was sworn in as the 19th Premier of Alberta on October 11, 2022. She represents the riding of Brooks-Medicine Hat in the Legislative Assembly. Before re-entering politics, Smith worked extensively in the media and in business, most recently as President of the Alberta Enterprise Group. Before that, she was a radio host with Corus Entertainment for 6 years.
