Premier Ed Stelmach announced in October 2009 that new Senate nominee elections would be held because the incumbents' terms were set to end[5] on November 22, 2010.

[6] The PC Government announced on April 29, 2010, that it was extending the terms of the three senators-in-waiting beyond November 22, 2010, to December 2, 2013, unless elections were called earlier.

Betty Unger stated the term limits should be respected and fresh elections should be called that fall.

[9] Progressive Conservative Cliff Breitkreuz supported the decision to extend the appointments and stated that he won't run again in a new election.

[9] All three incumbents and other pundits agreed that the move was made to help the Progressive Conservatives avoid an election loss to the Wildrose Party.

The governing Progressive Conservatives, who won three positions in the 2004 Senate nominee nominated a full slate of three candidates.

However, his top priority in his platform would be to help all Canadians understand the importance of Alberta's energy resources to the nation.

The federal Green Party of Canada and its leader Elizabeth May have endorsed running a Senate nominee.

[15] Rounding out the field are six independent candidates, including, David Fletcher, an original member/supporter of the Canadian Committee for a Triple E Senate and a 3rd generation Albertan, William Exelby, a Certified Management Accountant; Len Bracko, a former provincial Liberal MLA for St. Albert; Paul Frank, BA, JD, LL.L (summa cum laude), graduate of the National Law Program at the University of Ottawa, a lawyer and a Prosecutor for the City of Calgary and University of Alberta professor Ian Urquhart.

He plans on proposing a constitutional amendment on Senate Reform which would better reflect the Canada of 2012 vs 1867 in order to increase the representation from the west.

[19] Official poll results as per report posted by Elections Alberta:[20] Wildrose Announces Rob Gregory As Final Senate Candidate Archived March 29, 2012, at the Wayback Machine