Following the merger approval a leadership contest was held with three candidates, Kenney, former Wildrose leader Jean, and attorney Doug Schweitzer.

Kenney was elected leader of the newly formed United Conservative Party with a plurality of 61.2 per cent of the vote.

Kenney's approval ratings amongst Albertans and members of the United Conservative Party began to slip following successive waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier Angus Reid polling reports said that, "Albertans have grown increasingly critical" of Premier Kenney and the UCP "government's response to the coronavirus, and the province's finances are in historically poor shape with oil revenues plummeting and pandemic-related economic shocks persisting.

"[1] The June 2021 report said that "both sides" of Alberta's "political spectrum" have been angered by Kenney's response to the pandemic; they are critical of his approach to pandemic-related restrictions.

[4] Later in September, the United Conservative Party board announced a leadership review would take place at the party's annual general meeting in April 2022, ahead of the previous plans for a leadership review to take place in fall 2022.

[5] In March 2022, the United Conservative Party changed the format for the leadership review, moving to a mail-in ballot beginning in April, with results to be announced on May 18.

[10] Rick Orman, a former Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta Member of the Legislative Assembly, and unsuccessful leadership candidate in the 1992 Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta leadership election served as the returning officer, and announced the results of each ballot.

[11] Albertans were eligible to vote in the leadership election if they had purchased a party membership prior to August 12.

Travis Toews, 57, is the MLA for Grande Prairie-Wapiti (2019–present) and former Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board (2019–2022).

He requested an exemption to run in the race for not being a party member for 6 months, however it was rejected by the UCP Leadership Election Committee.

Danielle Smith led on the 1st Count and eventually accumulated a majority of the votes still in play to be declared the winner.