its a personality cult in AB in the sense that whoever embodies and oozes the most "conservativeness" will win. Details don't matter there. They had 40 years of wasteful spending, massive healthcare blunders, and little diversification under the PCs and it didn't matter. Now that religion and so-called financial conservatism are merged there's just no chance for anyone else to win.
I think Notley is fighting to avoid a total sweep at this point, she has no hope of winning a government.