Estefan Cortes-Vargas is a Colombian-born Canadian politician and non-profit administrator who was elected in the 2015 Alberta general election to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, representing the electoral district of Strathcona-Sherwood Park as a member of the Alberta New Democratic Party. Upon election, they became one of the first three out LGBT people elected to the Alberta legislature, alongside caucus colleagues Michael Connolly and Ricardo Miranda. They were also the first openly trans, non-binary, queer MLA in Canada, as well as the first Colombian-Canadian MLA and the youngest government whip in Alberta at the age of 24, marking a series of historical firsts in Canadian politics.
Cortes-Vargas in 2015
2015 Alberta general election
The 2015 Alberta general election was held on May 5, following a request of Premier Jim Prentice to the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Donald Ethell to dissolve the Legislative Assembly on April 7. This election elected members to the 29th Alberta Legislature. It was only the fourth time in provincial history that saw a change of governing party, and was the last provincial election for both the Alberta Progressive Conservative and Wildrose parties, which merged in 2017 to form the United Conservative Party.
Image: Rachel Notley crop
Image: Brian Jean April 28 2015
Image: Jim Prentice
Image: David Swann April 12, 2010