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By Dean Bennett

EDMONTON — Rachel Notley knew a week before voting day that she was going to shatter the Progressive Conservative dynasty and become Alberta’s 17th premier — and it hit her like a punch in the stomach.

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tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or A week before the election, Rachel Notley suddenly realized she was going to be premier Back to video

She was in a hotel room that night on the campaign trail in Calgary or Lethbridge — she doesn’t remember where — when she saw a new poll that put her NDP team well out in front.

It wasn’t one of those angry-person punch-button polls, but one that was expansive and credible.

Her advisers had handed it to her hours earlier, but only now did she have time to analyse it.

And there it was, shining through lines of impersonal data.

She was going to win.

“I suddenly realize that this could happen,” said Notley in an interview with The Canadian Press.

“My stomach gets very sore and suddenly I go, ’Oh my Lord. We have so much to do.”’

She remembers pacing in the empty suite. What to do? What to do? She dialled up her husband, Lou, and started talking.