Lethbridge (formerly known as LethbridgeâÂÂFoothills) is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1917. It incorporates the City of Lethbridge and Lethbridge County.
Lethbridge has had a centre-right MP at the federal level since the 1930s. The current MP for Lethbridge is Rachael Thomas, who was first elected to parliament in 2015 for the Conservatives.
This riding was originally created in 1914 from parts of Macleod riding.
In 1977, it was renamed "LethbridgeâÂÂFoothills".
In 1987, LethbridgeâÂÂFoothills was abolished and replaced by a new "Lethbridge" riding. The new riding was created from most of LethbridgeâÂÂFoothills, along with parts of Macleod and Medicine Hat ridings.
It has been represented by centre-right MPs without interruption since 1930. As in most other federal Alberta ridings outside of Calgary and Edmonton, it usually supports the major right-wing party of the day by landslide margins. Since 1945, a non-conservative party has only won 30 percent of the vote three times. Lethbridge itself is somewhat friendlier to centre-left candidates, at least at the provincial level, which helps reduce the overall margins compared to surrounding ridings. The Alberta New Democratic Party (NDP) won both seats in the provincial legislature from the city in the 2015 provincial election, but in 2019 lost the Lethbridge East riding to the United Conservative Party (UCP). The city has occasionally elected provincial Liberals in the past as well. At the federal level, however, the NDP and the Liberals are no match for the overwhelming conservative bent of the more rural areas.
This riding lost territory to Medicine HatâÂÂCardstonâÂÂWarner and Foothills during the 2012 electoral redistribution.
Its member of Parliament is Rachael Thomas. She was first elected in 2015. She is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada.