Locals still on the hunt for recall organizer

By Lethbridge Herald on December 9, 2025.

Alexandra Noad
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Nearly two weeks after a recall petition for Lethbridge East MLA Nathan Neudorf was approved by Elections Alberta, speculation is swirling about the campaign and a total lack of action by its organizer.

Many residents in the riding, along with other Albertans, are concerned about the legitimacy of the petition since many have offered their support and assistance, only to receive radio silence from Ryan Tanner, the person whose name is on the Notice of Recall Petition.

Over the weekend, there was plenty of public discourse on social media platforms on the issue. The Herald has also received numerous phone calls from people waiting over a week, some as long as two weeks, with no response from the email Tanner provided Elections Alberta. The Herald has also spoken to a number of people who said the same thing.

Just two of those people said they had received any sort of follow-up outside of a form email thanking them and saying the campaign was “swamped” by volunteer interest. One of them told Tanner in an email that they were leaving town soon and would not be back in Lethbridge before the petition deadline at the end of February. Tanner assured them that someone would collect their signatures before they left.

That was was more than 10 days ago. The person plans to leave town on Sunday and has heard nothing since from the campaign.

During a media scrum at the Legislature prior to Monday’s question period, when Neudorf was asked about what he thought of people wanting to be involved but not receiving a response, he said he had nothing to do with it.

“They would have to contact the individual (organizing the petition) or someone, I’m not involved in my own recall.”

Neudorf also refuted allegations by a number of social media posters who suggested Neudorf knew Ryan Tanner, who may or may not be co-owner of a metal fabrication business in Coaldale. The Herald has tried and failed to reach that Ryan Tanner by phone.

After fielding dozens of calls from angry Lethbridge East residents, as well as local media, Elections Alberta said Monday that Alberta’s recall legislation doesn’t include safeguards to determine the legitimacy of a campaign manager’s intentions, or to interfere if the campaign does not actively fulfill its mandate of collecting signatures.

Elections Alberta says the only requirements to submit a recall petition are to submit a statement for the recall and pay a mandatory $500 fee. Once the petition is approved, it is up to the person who submitted it to collect the necessary signatures within the allotted 90-day timeline. In the case of Lethbridge East, that translates into 13,000 signatures from Lethbridge East residents before Feb. 23, 2026.

Additionally, only one recall can be submitted during an MLA’s term, which means a new petition will not be accepted unless and until Neudorf wins the seat for another term in the next provincial election.

In the meantime, Tanner has yet to respond to several emailed requests from the Herald for an interview.

With files from Lisa Johnson of The Canadian Press.