Skip to the record

The Political RecordFederal electoral districtsNo. 48033Alberta

Ponoka—Didsbury

Ponoka—Didsbury is a federal riding in Alberta. Blaine Calkins (Conservative, first elected to the House in 2006) represents Ponoka—Didsbury. Blaine Calkins (Conservative) held Ponoka—Didsbury for the Conservatives in the 2025 election by 48,692 votes (71.0 points), with 81.8% of the vote. Logan Hooley (NDP) was second with 10.8%, on a turnout of 75.1% of 92,020 electors. Member as of .

Battle River—Crowfoot · ConservativeLeduc—Wetaskiwin · ConservativeRed Deer · ConservativeYellowhead · ConservativePonoka—Didsbury
Fig. 1 — Ponoka—Didsbury on the board, 2023 boundaries; the ridings next door as the House holds them on . Open it on the board →

Who represents Ponoka—Didsbury

CBlaine Calkins
Blaine Calkins's piece from the board. Illustration after the official portrait © House of Commons.

Blaine Calkins

Member of Parliament for Ponoka—Didsbury

Conservative

MP since · 7 terms

  • Procedure and House Affairs committee

123 speeches in the 45th Parliament, most often on Business of Supply — Main Estimates and Supplementary Estimates (A), 2025-26.

Contact and office · House of Commons →

The 2025 result: Conservative hold

Share of the valid votes by candidate, Ponoka—Didsbury, April 28, 2025

Share of the valid votes by candidate, Ponoka—Didsbury, April 28, 2025Of the 68,579 valid votes, Blaine Calkins (Conservative) took 81.8%, Logan Hooley (New Democratic) 10.8%, Grant Abraham (United Party of Canada (UP)) 3.1%, Zarnab Zafar (No Affiliation) 2.4% and Larry Gratton (People's Party) 1.9%.2025Turnout 75.1% of 92,020 electorsBlaine CalkinsConservative81.8% · 56,10648,692 votes ahead · 71.0 ptsLogan HooleyNew Democratic10.8% · 7,414Grant AbrahamUnited Party of Canada(UP)3.1% · 2,129Zarnab ZafarNo Affiliation2.4% · 1,641Larry GrattonPeople's Party1.9% · 1,289050%100%
Share of the valid votes by candidate, Ponoka—Didsbury, April 28, 2025Of the 68,579 valid votes, Blaine Calkins (Conservative) took 81.8%, Logan Hooley (New Democratic) 10.8%, Grant Abraham (United Party of Canada (UP)) 3.1%, Zarnab Zafar (No Affiliation) 2.4% and Larry Gratton (People's Party) 1.9%.2025Turnout 75.1% of 92,020 electorsBlaine CalkinsConservative81.8% · 56,10648,692 votes ahead · 71.0 ptsLogan HooleyNew Democratic10.8% · 7,414Grant AbrahamUnited Party of Canada (UP)3.1% · 2,129Zarnab ZafarNo Affiliation2.4% · 1,641Larry GrattonPeople's Party1.9% · 1,289050%100%
Shares of the 68,579 valid votes; a candidate under 1% is counted with the others. Source: Elections Canada, official voting results, the 2025 general election.
The figures
CandidatePartyVotesShare
Blaine CalkinsConservative56,10681.8%
Logan HooleyNew Democratic7,41410.8%
Grant AbrahamUnited Party of Canada (UP)2,1293.1%
Zarnab ZafarNo Affiliation1,6412.4%
Larry GrattonPeople's Party1,2891.9%

Blaine Calkins (Conservative) won Ponoka—Didsbury on with 56,106 votes, 81.8% of the 68,579 valid votes. Logan Hooley (New Democratic) was second with 7,414 (10.8%), 48,692 votes and 71.0 points behind.

Of the 68,579 valid votes, Blaine Calkins (Conservative) took 81.8%, Logan Hooley (New Democratic) 10.8%, Grant Abraham (United Party of Canada (UP)) 3.1%, Zarnab Zafar (No Affiliation) 2.4% and Larry Gratton (People's Party) 1.9%. Turnout was 75.1% of 92,020 electors: 69,131 ballots cast, 68,579 of them valid, for 5 candidates.

Since 2021

Against the 2021 result on these boundaries, the Conservatives are up 14.2 (67.6% to 81.8%), the New Democrats down 0.1 (10.9% to 10.8%), the others up 0.8 (2.3% to 3.1%), the independents up 1.6 (0.8% to 2.4%) and the People's Party down 11.4 (13.3% to 1.9%), in points of the valid votes.

2021 is Elections Canada's transposition of that election onto the 2023 boundaries, not an election held on these lines.

Since 2004: a Conservative stronghold

The party first in Ponoka—Didsbury at each general election, 2004 to 2025, on today's boundaries

  1. 2004Conservative73.5%by 61.5 points over the Liberals
  2. 2006Conservative74.8%by 65.6 points over the Liberals
  3. 2008Conservative75.2%by 65.8 points over the New Democrats
  4. 2011Conservative78.5%by 65.9 points over the New Democrats
  5. 2015Conservative71.9%by 57.4 points over the Liberals
  6. 2019Conservative80.0%by 71.6 points over the New Democrats
  7. 2021Conservative67.6%by 54.3 points over the People's Party
  8. 2025Conservative81.8%by 71.0 points over the New Democrats
Each election carried onto today's boundaries by where the riding's 2025 electors lived: our estimate to 2019, Elections Canada's transposition for 2021, the official result for 2025. Parties are counted as they ran.
The figures
YearFirstShareSecondMargin (pts)Basis
2004Conservative73.5%Liberal61.5carried, our estimate
2006Conservative74.8%Liberal65.6carried, our estimate
2008Conservative75.2%New Democratic65.8carried, our estimate
2011Conservative78.5%New Democratic65.9carried, our estimate
2015Conservative71.9%Liberal57.4carried, our estimate
2019Conservative80.0%New Democratic71.6carried, our estimate
2021Conservative67.6%People's54.3transposed by Elections Canada
2025Conservative81.8%New Democratic71.0official result

The Conservatives were first here at all eight general elections from 2004 to 2025, by an average of 64.1 points over the next party. In 2025 the Conservatives took 81.8% of the vote here, 7.3 points above their average of 74.5% at the seven general elections from 2004 to 2021.

On today's boundaries the Conservatives were first here in 2004 (73.5%), 2006 (74.8%), 2008 (75.2%), 2011 (78.5%), 2015 (71.9%), 2019 (80.0%), 2021 (67.6%) and 2025 (81.8%), each with the share of the valid votes shown.

A stronghold is a party first at every general election since 2004, by an average of 20 points or more over the next party; held, first at every one; usually, first at all but one. By-elections are not counted. By this rule 77 of the 343 ridings are strongholds. The results before 2021 are carried onto today's boundaries by where the riding's 2025 electors lived: our estimate, from the older boundaries of Taylor, Lucas, Kirby and Hewitt and the results in Sevi's "Who Runs?". 2021 is Elections Canada's transposition, and 2025 the official result.

Before 2025
  • 2021 Conservative · Blaine Calkins, by 30,999 votes (50.0 pts)
  • 2019 Conservative · Blaine Calkins, by 47,831 votes (70.9 pts)
  • 2015 Conservative · Blaine Calkins, by 34,364 votes (55.7 pts)

In Red Deer—Lacombe on the 2013 boundaries, the riding most of the 2025 electors in today's Ponoka—Didsbury lived in; Elections Canada's official results.

What kind of place Ponoka—Didsbury is

Population
114,5352021 census
Area
9,688km²
Density
12people per km²
Electors
92,020on the 2025 lists
Distinctions · ranked against all 343 ridings
  • 3rd-widest margin in Canada: Won by 71.0 points (48,692 votes) · 3rd of 3433rd
    3rd-widest margin in Canada
    Won by 71.0 points (48,692 votes) · 3rd of 343
  • Won every election-day poll: All 177 election-day polls went to the winner · one of 15 of 34315
    Won every election-day poll
    All 177 election-day polls went to the winner · one of 15 of 343
  • 3rd-highest turnout in Alberta: 75.1% of 92,020 electors voted · 3rd of 37 in Alberta · 30th of 343 in Canada3rd
    3rd-highest turnout in Alberta
    75.1% of 92,020 electors voted · 3rd of 37 in Alberta · 30th of 343 in Canada
  • Share aged 25-64 with a bachelor's degree or higher is 15.1% — about 54 percent of the median riding's 28.2%.
    highestlowest34th lowest of 343
  • Share of households that own their home is 77.5% — a little higher than the median riding's 71.4%.
    highestlowest91st highest of 343
  • Share who are immigrants is 8.0% — about 46 percent of the median riding's 17.3%.
    highestlowest95th lowest of 343
  • Share with French as a mother tongue is 1.0% — about 63 percent of the median riding's 1.6%.
    highestlowest101st lowest of 343
  • Median total household income is $88,000 — a little higher than the median riding's $84,000.
    highestlowest128th highest of 343
  • Median age is 40.8 — about the same as the median riding's 41.6.
    highestlowest141st lowest of 343

2021 Census on the 2023 boundaries; each rule places this riding among all 343. Density is the census population over the riding's area.

IDid this riding change?

Yes. 67% of the 2025 electors in today's Ponoka—Didsbury lived in the old Red Deer—Lacombe; by area, 39% of the riding came from other ridings.

Share of today's electorsFormer riding
67.4%Red Deer—Lacombe 61.4% of the area · 94% of it kept
32.6%Red Deer—Mountain View 38.5% of the area · 49% of it kept
How this is measured. Electors: the share of the current riding's 2025 ordinary-list electors who lived in each former riding, each 2025 polling division placed in the 2013 riding a point inside it falls in. Area: the share of the current riding's area that came from each former riding, by intersecting the 2013 and 2023 boundary files, and how much of the former riding that part was. Area is land, not population. Elections Canada counts 48 of 343 ridings as entirely unchanged.

IIThe 2025 result

CandidatePartyVotes%2021±
Blaine CalkinsConservative56,10681.8%67.6%+14.2
Logan HooleyNew Democratic7,41410.8%10.9%−0.1
Grant AbrahamOther2,1293.1%2.3%+0.8
Zarnab ZafarIndependent1,6412.4%0.8%+1.6
Larry GrattonPeople's1,2891.9%13.3%−11.4
The 2021 column is Elections Canada's official transposition of the 2021 result onto these 2023 boundaries. ± is the change in each party's share. It is not "swing": with four or more competitive parties there is no single pair to swing between.

IIIHow close was it, really

Third place vs. the margin
2,129 votes
Other took fewer than the 48,692-vote margin.
Election-day polls won by others
0 of 177
No poll ended in a tie.
Fig. 2 — Each square is one election-day poll: ■ won by the Conservatives (177) · ■ won by another party (0).
Flip the seatHypothetical

It would have taken 24,347 voters switching from Conservative to New Democratic — 35.5% of the 68,579 valid votes, 35.5 points — to change the result. No ballot was cast this way; this only moves votes between the top two.

Conservative56,106
New Democratic7,414
Still Conservative by 48,692 votes. Actual margin: 48,692.

IVElection day versus advance

Only 53.0% of this riding's votes were cast at election-day polls. The rest were advance or special ballots.

On election day the Conservatives took 81.4%, the New Democrats 10.5%, the others 3.6%, the independents 2.3% and the People's Party 2.1%; in advance and special ballots, 82.2%, 11.1%, 2.5%, 2.5% and 1.6%, in that order.

Share of the valid votes by party, election-day polls against advance and special ballots, Ponoka—Didsbury, April 28, 2025

Share of the valid votes by party, election-day polls against advance and special ballots, Ponoka—Didsbury, April 28, 2025On election day the Conservatives took 81.4%, the New Democrats 10.5%, the others 3.6%, the independents 2.3% and the People's Party 2.1%; in advance and special ballots, 82.2%, 11.1%, 2.5%, 2.5% and 1.6%, in that order.Election dayAdvance and special± pts, the gapConservative81.4%82.2%+0.8 ptsNew Democratic10.5%11.1%+0.6 ptsOther3.6%2.5%−1.1 ptsIndependent2.3%2.5%+0.2 ptsPeople's Party2.1%1.6%−0.5 pts050%100%
Share of the valid votes by party, election-day polls against advance and special ballots, Ponoka—Didsbury, April 28, 2025On election day the Conservatives took 81.4%, the New Democrats 10.5%, the others 3.6%, the independents 2.3% and the People's Party 2.1%; in advance and special ballots, 82.2%, 11.1%, 2.5%, 2.5% and 1.6%, in that order.Election dayAdvance and special± pts, the gapConservative81.4%82.2%+0.8 ptsNew Democratic10.5%11.1%+0.6 ptsOther3.6%2.5%−1.1 ptsIndependent2.3%2.5%+0.2 ptsPeople's Party2.1%1.6%−0.5 pts050%100%
Shares of the valid votes cast at election-day polls, and of those cast at advance polls, at mobile polls and by special ballot; the gap is the second less the first, in points. Source: Elections Canada, poll-by-poll results, the 2025 general election.
The figures
PartyElection dayAdvance and specialGap
Conservative81.4%82.2%+0.8
New Democratic10.5%11.1%+0.6
Other3.6%2.5%−1.1
Independent2.3%2.5%+0.2
People's Party2.1%1.6%−0.5
An association, not a cause. Voters who cast ballots before election day differed from those who turned out on the day. It does not say why. There is no poll-level turnout figure on this page: the elector count on a polling division includes people who voted in advance and were counted elsewhere.

VWhere it is

loading basemap…
Fig. 3 — Ponoka—Didsbury and its 4 neighbouring ridings.

Sources and citation

"Ponoka—Didsbury — federal riding profile and 2025 results." The Political Record. https://politicalrecord.ca/riding/ponoka-didsbury/ Accessed 2026-11-10.

Results and transposition: Elections Canada. Boundaries: Elections Canada / Statistics Canada, Open Government Licence – Canada. Census: Statistics Canada 2021 Census. Member: House of Commons.

Figures reconcile to the certified national total of 19,641,663 votes. The member is as the House of Commons listed them on 2026-11-01. Page built 2026-11-10.