2017 Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election  The 2017 Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election was held on March 18, 2017 in Calgary. It chose Jason Kenney as the successor to former Alberta Premier and Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leader Jim Prentice. He resigned after the party was defeated in the May 5, 2015 general election. The party had governed the province for 44 consecutive years. Prentice had been elected leader eight months prior to his defeat. On May 11, 2015, the remaining nine members of the party's caucus elected Ric McIver as interim leader. According to the party's constitution, a leadership election was to be held within six months of a vacancy occurring; in this case within six months of May 5, 2015 when Prentice announced his resignation. However, the party's board of directors decided to delay the convention and, at its 2016 AGM, decided to hold the next leadership election between August 2016 and May 2017. The party's board of directors later decided to hold the election in the spring of 2017. Kenney spent $1.46 million on his leadership campaign, nearly nine times the $162,603 spent by his closet rival, Richard Starke. Stephen Khan spent $24,919 on the campaign, while Byron Nelson spent $15,579. For the first time since 1985, the leader will be chosen by a delegated leadership convention rather than a One Member One Vote system in which all party members vote. Each of the 87 riding associations will elect 15 delegates to the convention. Five of those 15 spots are reserved for those serving as directors of the boards at those riding associations as of October 1, 2016, and three of the 15 delegates must be youth delegates (under age 26). All provincial board members of the party and former PC MLAs are automatic delegates. To win, a candidate must gain 50% +1 of votes cast. If no candidate wins a majority on the first ballot, the candidate with the lowest vote total is dropped from the next ballot. Balloting continues until one candidate wins a majority (or all other candidates have withdrawn). Candidates must make financial disclosures of all pre and post-writ campaign activity, retroactive to June 30, 2016. Candidates must “avoid causing harm or disrepute to the PCAA and its brand through any detrimental action or conduct, whether intentional or unintentional”. All candidates will have to post a $20,000 performance bond — refundable if they comply with all the rules — in addition to the $30,000 non-refundable entrance fee.