EDMONTON — The NDP has won a majority in Alberta by toppling the Progressive Conservative colossus that has dominated the province for more than four decades.

The party under leader Rachel Notley swept all 19 seats in Edmonton on Tuesday and made inroads in previously barren NDP territory in Calgary and Lethbridge.

The Wildrose party appeared poised to take second place and form the official Opposition, while Premier Jim Prentice and his PCs were trailing in third.

Prentice later resigned as leader of the Alberta Progressive Conservatives.

He is also giving up the seat he retained in the provincial election in Calgary Foothills.

He says he takes responsibility for the decision that led to the party's resounding defeat.

It’s a tectonic shift in Alberta politics, which has seen government change hands only four times since the Liberals won the first election when Alberta became a province in 1905.

The Tories, first elected in 1971, had been the longest-serving government in Canadian history at 43 years and almost eight months.

For Notley, the victory is a vindication of the pioneering efforts of her father, Grant Notley. He helped found Alberta’s NDP and kept the movement alive as the sole NDP member of the legislature in the 1970s.

He died in a plane crash in northern Alberta in 1984, two years before his party made its first big breakthrough in 1986 and became official Opposition.

The NDP has never come close to power in Alberta since it began contesting votes in 1940. Its previous high-water mark was 16 seats and almost 30 per cent of the popular vote in 1986.

Notley ran on a policy platform of social change, promising to invest more in schools and hospitals, while increasing taxes to corporations and the wealthy.

His party had been seeking to stave off challenges from both the NDP and the Wildrose party to secure a 13th consecutive majority government.

Prentice dropped the writ on April 7 — a year earlier than necessary under Alberta law — saying he needed a mandate to implement a tough budget that proposes sweeping increases in taxes and user fees and cuts in government spending.

The goal was to stop Alberta’s heavy reliance on fluctuating oil prices for its revenue.

It was supposed to be a victory lap for the premier, whose party held 70 of 87 seats at dissolution. The Wildrose and the Liberals were both coming off leadership changes.

The campaign didn’t work out that way.

The Opposition Wildrose criticized Prentice for not going far enough with spending cuts and said it would not raise any taxes.

Leader Brian Jean promised to balance the budget by 2017 through cuts to scores of management jobs, reprioritizing building projects and holding the line on taxes.

The New Democrats criticized Prentice for going too far with cuts, while sparing corporations from tax increases. Notley said she could balance the books by 2018 through increased taxes on corporations and the wealthy, while still spending more on health and education.

Notley has had momentum since the leaders debate that most pundits say she won.

The Liberals, under interim leader David Swann, ran a low-key campaign that promised to fix long wait times for health care and improve social services for young and old.

The NDP, under leader Rachel Notley, was on its way to taking every seat in the capital of Edmonton.

The part was also making significant gains in the traditional Tory stronghold of Calgary.

Notley, the daughter of popular former NDP leader Grant Notley, will be the province’s 17th premier.

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The Tories and the Wildrose were left to fight over who would finish second and form the official Opposition.Notley won her seat Tuesday as her party dominated Edmonton and Lethbridge and made inroads in Calgary in the provincial election.

The NDP was looking to form government for the first time in the party’s 75-year-history in Alberta.

The Tories and Premier Jim Prentice had been seeking to stave off challenges from both the NDP and the Wildrose party to secure a 13th consecutive majority government.

The Tories have governed since they swept the Social Credit party out of office almost 44 years ago. The Socred dynasty lasted 36 years.

Prentice dropped the writ on April 7 — a year earlier than necessary under Alberta law — saying he needed a mandate to implement a tough budget that proposes sweeping increases in taxes and user fees and cuts in government spending.

The goal is to stop Alberta’s heavy reliance on fluctuating oil prices for its revenue.

It was supposed to be a victory lap for the premier, whose party held 70 of 87 seats at dissolution. The Wildrose and the Liberals are both coming off leadership changes and the NDP has never won more than 16 seats in an election.

The campaign didn’t work out that way.

The Opposition Wildrose has criticized Prentice for not going far enough with spending cuts and has promised it would not raise any taxes.

Leader Brian Jean has promised to balance the budget by 2017 through cuts to scores of management jobs, reprioritizing building projects and holding the line on taxes.

The New Democrats have criticized Prentice for going too far with cuts, while sparing corporations from tax increases. Notley has said she could balance the books by 2018 through increased taxes on corporations and the wealthy, while still spending more on health and education.

Prentice has ridiculed both plans as unrealistic.

Campaign polls suggested the NDP would have a strong showing in Edmonton and the party hoped to have a breakthrough in Calgary.

Wildrose support was concentrated in rural areas outside the two large cities.

Notley has had momentum since the leaders debate that most pundits say she won.

The Liberals, under interim leader David Swann, ran a low-key campaign that promised to fix long wait times for health care and improve social services for young and old.

Swann has said his party may be able to work with the New Democrats in a minority government situation if it wins seats.

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