Calgary

David Khan chosen leader of the Alberta Liberal Party

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Vote held at party's annual general meeting in Calgary on Sunday

David Khan has been elected leader of the Alberta Liberal Party. (Terri Trembath/CBC)

The Alberta Liberals have named David Khan as the new leader of the party.

Khan was named leader at the party's annual general meeting Sunday in Calgary, after online voting was held from from May 27 to June 3.

Khan, 42, is a Calgary-based lawyer practising Indigenous law and the former vice-president of the party. He has twice before run for provincial office under the Alberta Liberal banner — once in a byelection and in the last Alberta election.

Khan captured 54.8 per cent of the vote on Sunday.

"It's been a whirlwind. It's been a really busy last two months, but I'm so excited about the energy in this room," he said Sunday. "There's so many Liberals old and new who are part of our party now and I'm excited about moving liberalism forward in Alberta."

Khan has previously said he wants to build the party from within rather than merge with other centrist parties.

"I'm focused on rebuilding this party, re-energizing it, running candidates in 87 constituencies, being a real force in the next provincial election — and we're going to win a bunch of seats."

Khan said he is not worried about the Progressive Conservatives and Wildrose potentially merging into the United Conservative Party. He hopes to woo disaffected voters.

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"The progressive wing of that party has been left isolated and have been alienated from the PC party and we want them here because those are small L liberals," he said. "We reflect their values and principles, social progressiveness, fiscal prudence. It's something no other party has in this province except us."

Khan said organizing and fundraising will be his immediate goals.

"Making sure we've got 87 strong candidates," he said. "I want 40 or 45 cabinet-level candidates because we could form the next government."

The next provincial election is scheduled for 2019.