CALGARY - Alberta Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Gary Mar jumped out to a commanding lead in early voting to pick a new party leader and premier.
Mar took 49.5 per cent of the early vote.
He needs 50 per cent plus one to win, otherwise the top three candidates move on to a second round of voting on Oct. 1.
Former justice minister Alison Redford was a distant second, with about a third of the votes that Mar received.
Ex-finance minister Ted Morton was third, former deputy premier Doug Horner was fourth and backbencher Doug Griffiths and Rick Orman were fifth and sixth respectively.
Six candidates have been campaigning for months to replace Premier Ed Stelmach, who announced in January he was leaving politics.
