The current premier is Danielle Smith, leader of the governing United Conservative Party, who was sworn in on October 11, 2022.

The premier is the first minister representing Alberta towards the federal government and the other provinces and territories in Canada.

To be effective, accountable and in line with custom, the premier is expected to hold a seat in the legislature, so the premier serves as the MLA for a riding and is elected as MLA by the constituents of that constituency.

As with most government leaders in a parliamentary system, the premier usually wins his or her own election as MLA easily.

However, on occasion, a premier has not been re-elected to their seat in a general election, forcing them to run in a by-election in a constituency that comes empty by the resignation of the sitting MLA or other incident.