Heather McPherson | |
|---|---|
 McPherson in 2023 | |
| Member of Parliament forEdmonton Strathcona | |
| Assumed office October 21, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Linda Duncan |
| Whip of theNew Democratic Party | |
| In office April 5, 2024 – April 28, 2025 | |
| Leader | Jagmeet Singh |
| Preceded by | Rachel Blaney |
| Succeeded by | vacant |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1972-05-09)May 9, 1972 (age 53) |
| Political party | New Democratic Party |
| Spouse | Duncan |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada |
| Alma mater | University of Alberta (M.Ed.) |
| Website | www |
Heather McPhersonMP (born May 9, 1972) is a Canadian politician who has represented theriding ofEdmonton Strathcona in theHouse of Commons of Canada since2019 as a member of theNew Democratic Party (NDP).[1]
McPherson was born on May 9, 1972, inEdmonton,Alberta.[2] She attendedOld Scona Academic High School in theOld Strathcona district. McPherson graduated from theUniversity of Alberta, where she earned an undergraduate and master's degree in education.[3][4] She previously served as executive director of the Alberta Council on Global Co-operation, specializing ininternational development.[5][3]
McPherson became theNew Democratic Party's candidate forEdmonton Strathcona after incumbentLinda Duncan announced her intentions to retire. During the2019 election, she was endorsed byGreen Party of Canada candidate Michael Kalmanovitch, in an attempt to prevent vote splitting.[6] In the43rd Canadian Parliament, which lasted from 2019 until the2021 Canadian federal election was called, she was the only non-Conservative MP from Alberta.[7] Alongside formerAlberta PremierRachel Notley, McPherson supported the project to expand theTrans Mountain pipeline, despite the project being opposed by New Democratic Party leadership.[8] McPherson has also advocated to limit coal mining in theRocky Mountains and increase environmental oversight over mining.[9][10]
She was re-elected in 2021, and was appointed the NDP critic for Foreign Affairs in the44th Canadian Parliament.[11] McPherson is known for pressing theLiberals torecognize Palestinian statehood, stating they lacked the "moral courage and political will" to advance atwo-state solution betweenPalestine andIsrael.[12] McPherson was part of a group of CanadianMembers of Parliament who travelled to theWest Bank andJordan as part of a fact-finding tour that involved meetings withPalestinian refugees, diplomatic officials,United Nations aid workers, and Israeli peace activists.[13][14][15] In 2022, McPherson, along withJagmeet Singh,Charlie Angus andAnne McGrath formed aNew Democratic Party delegation which visitedGermany, meeting withChancellorOlaf Scholz and other leading members of theSocial Democratic Party of Germany.[16] In April 2022, McPherson proposed that the Canadian government recognize agenocide ofUkrainians by theRussian Armed Forces during theRusso-Ukrainian War. The proposal was passed unanimously in theHouse of Commons.[17] As foreign affairs critic, she has also supported internationalnuclear disarmament.[18][15]
In the2025 federal election, McPherson retained her seat in theEdmonton Strathcona riding. However, she was one of only a few NDP members to return toParliament, as the party lost the majority of its seats in the House of Commons, along with official party status.[19] This led to party leaderJagmeet Singh resigning from his role.[20] Despite the defeat, McPherson said that she will now focus on the Liberals living up to "the promises they made to Canadians," ensuring her party "will do that."[21]
McPherson is a candidate in the2026 New Democratic Party leadership election,[22] launching her campaign on September 28, 2025, inEdmonton.[23][24] She is considered a likely frontrunner in the race.[25]
McPherson is married to her husband, Duncan, and has 2 children.[26] She is a cancer survivor.[27]
| 2025 Canadian federal election:Edmonton Strathcona | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ** Preliminary results — Not yet official ** | ||||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| New Democratic | Heather McPherson | 27,959 | 46.82 | –11.13 | ||||
| Conservative | Miles Berry | 19,773 | 33.11 | +6.34 | ||||
| Liberal | Ron Thiering | 10,806 | 18.09 | +9.07 | ||||
| People's | David Joel Wojtowicz | 385 | 0.64 | –3.88 | ||||
| Green | Atul Deshmukh | 365 | 0.61 | –0.64 | ||||
| Independent | Graham Lettner | 251 | 0.42 | N/A | ||||
| Communist | Christian Bourque | 181 | 0.30 | N/A | ||||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | ||||||||
| Total rejected ballots | ||||||||
| Turnout | 59,720 | 72.59 | ||||||
| Eligible voters | 82,266 | |||||||
| New Democraticnotional hold | Swing | –8.74 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[28][29] | ||||||||
| 2021 Canadian federal election:Edmonton Strathcona | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| New Democratic | Heather McPherson | 31,690 | 60.31 | +13.04 | $84,080.08 | |||
| Conservative | Tunde Obasan | 13,310 | 25.33 | -11.74 | $96,778.74 | |||
| Liberal | Hibo Mohamed | 3,948 | 7.51 | -4.11 | $22,672.65 | |||
| People's | Wes Janke | 2,366 | 4.50 | +2.84 | $4,252.77 | |||
| Green | Kelly Green | 634 | 1.21 | -0.82 | $0.00 | |||
| Libertarian | Malcolm Stinson | 275 | 0.52 | - | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 52,223 | 99.40 | -0.16 | $108,879.96 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 317 | 0.60 | +0.16 | |||||
| Turnout | 52,540 | 69.37 | -2.89 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 75,736 | |||||||
| New Democratichold | Swing | +12.39 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[30] | ||||||||
| 2019 Canadian federal election:Edmonton Strathcona | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| New Democratic | Heather McPherson | 26,823 | 47.27 | +3.30 | $91,753.90 | |||
| Conservative | Sam Lilly | 21,035 | 37.07 | +5.79 | $88,211.43 | |||
| Liberal | Eleanor Olszewski | 6,592 | 11.62 | -9.11 | $91,354.39 | |||
| Green | Michael Kalmanovitch | 1,152 | 2.03 | -0.27 | $8,919.41 | |||
| People's | Ian Cameron | 941 | 1.66 | - | none listed | |||
| Communist | Naomi Rankin | 125 | 0.22 | - | none listed | |||
| Marxist–Leninist | Dougal MacDonald | 77 | 0.14 | -0.03 | none listed | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 56,745 | 99.56 | ||||||
| Total rejected ballots | 250 | 0.44 | +0.05 | |||||
| Turnout | 56,995 | 72.26 | +1.27 | |||||
| Eligible voters | 78,876 | |||||||
| New Democratichold | Swing | -1.24 | ||||||
| Source:Elections Canada[31][32] | ||||||||