Eby calls B.C. election two years early
A breakdown of the Oct. 24 provincial election
NDP Leader David Eby announced a snap election on Sept. 22 — two years ahead of schedule.
British Columbians will head to the polls twice next month, with the municipal elections set for Oct. 17 and the provincial election on Oct. 24.
Eby said it’s an “existential moment” for British Columbians and Canadians due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic attacks on Canada.
“Trump is attacking our workers. He’s targeting our businesses, and he is threatening our sovereignty. He’s threatening our ability to make decisions for ourselves,” Eby said.
Five parties are running in the provincial election: the B.C. NDP, Conservative Party of B.C., B.C. Green Party, CentreBC, and OneBC.
The B.C. Conservatives appointed Lorne Doerkson as interim leader after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned on Sept. 20. Under Findlay’s four month leadership, 14 MLAs left the B.C. Conservatives.
Doerkson was elected as MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin in 2020 with the B.C. Liberals, which later changed its name to B.C. United. He crossed the floor to join the B.C. Conservatives in 2024.
Doerkson did not run for leadership of the Conservative Party of B.C. in May.
Emily Lowan is the leader of the B.C. Greens. She will seek her election in Saanich North and the Islands after Greens MLA Rob Botterell announced he will not seek re-election.
CentreBC is headed up by Elenore Sturko, MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale. The party was formed last April by Karin Kirkpatrick, a former B.C. United MLA for West Vancouver-Capilano.
Eight MLAs, including Peter Milobar — who was leader of CentreBC for four days, left the party and joined the B.C. Conservatives again. Sturko is the only person running with CentreBC, returning to Surrey South — the riding she was first elected to during a 2022 byelection.
OneBC is led by MLA Dallas Brodie, the sole MLA for the party. Brodie launched the party after she was ejected from the B.C. Conservatives in March 2025 by then-leader John Rustad, who accused her of mocking former residential school students.
However, OneBC failed to get official party status in the British Columbia legislature before the provincial election was called.
The provincial election will be held on Oct. 24. Advance voting will be held from Oct. 16 to 21. For more information, visit elections.bc.ca/2026-provincial-election/.
