BC NDP name two rookie candidates to face Kamloops incumbents

Oct 1, 2026 | 4:46 PM

KAMLOOPS — The BC New Democrats have named two rookie politicians as candidates as they look to unseat a pair of BC Conservative incumbents in Kamloops Centre and Kamloops-North Thompson. While some polls have the NDP forming government on October 24, the two Kamloops ridings are thought to be safe for the Tories, with the orange banner not representing the area since 1996.

Kamloops Centre is the tighter race, with the NDP dropping the riding to incumbent Peter Milobar by just over 2,000 votes in 2024. NDP candidate Mike Wisla has spent time as a teacher, now looking to head to Victoria.

“I just have whole range of experience with people and just different professions. Right now, I work with health care. Before that I worked in education, I was a teacher for a number of years,” Wisla told CFJC News. “I see the issues, I know the issues and the people behind the issues. If you go way back, I worked in mining, I worked a little bit of forestry.”

Kamloops-North Thompson is tougher ground for the NDP, with the Tories winning the seat by more than 25 per cent. It’s also the first shot at political office for Kory Clark.

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“I am also here to represent the youth. A lot of people my age are a little disengaged, they don’t see themselves up in Victoria, in Ottawa. I want to be there to show that other people can do this and you can speak out and get involved,” said Clark.

A bellwether riding no longer, Kamloops has not seen a government MLA since the 2013 BC Liberals. For the NDP to change that, the two candidates believe sticking to the local issues is key.

“Housing, cost of living, these are the things people are thinking about, or are on their minds all the time,” said Clark. “We have a plan, we have a vision for a stronger B.C. and that is what we want to do.”

“This issues that are coming out through… (Donald) Trump, they affect everything, everywhere. What is happening with our forestry sector here is a result of tariffs, what’s happening in our mining sector is a result of tariffs, so it impacts Kamloops,” added Wisla.

The provincial election is scheduled for October 24.

by Michael Reeve

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BC NDP name two rookie candidates to face Kamloops incumbents

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