BC Conservatives projected to form majority government in 2026 election

Doerkson took over leadership of the party, with most of the MLAs rejoining.

As the election campaign entered the final week, a new poll showed that the BC Conservatives were leading by five points among decided voters.

Doerkson was born in New Westminster, raised in Surrey and built a life for himself and his family in Williams Lake.

He was a newspaper publisher for 20 years before moving into financial planning and becoming a rodeo announcer and volunteering in his community.

Ahead of election day, there was discussion among political experts and pollsters that this could be a change election.

The BC NDP was defending a government that has been in office since 2017.

Cost-of-living pressure, health-care access, street disorder, the toxic-drug crisis, housing and a large deficit created the conditions for a change argument.

Eby and the BC NDP campaigned that experience and policy continuity are safer than returning power to a Conservative coalition that has spent much of the legislature divided.

The BC Conservatives almost pulled off a miracle in the 2024 election, losing by just a handful of votes (less than 200 over two ridings) but still brought the NDP down to a one-seat majority.

Then leader John Rustad was eventually forced to resign by a rebellious caucus. A leadership race was held and far right social conservative Kerry-Lynne Findlay, a former Conservative MP, unexpectedly won an extremely close race over candidates linked to the former BC Liberal Party.

Findlay then began to purge her party of anyone even remotely linked to the BC Liberals and chaos ensued. After nine members quit, many of them joining the fledgling CentreBC party, Findlay resigned and all but one (Elenore Sturko, who became leader of CentreBC) came back into the BC Conservative fold.

Despite Findlay’s exit and the BC Conservatives regaining a sense of normalcy, Eby called the election on Sept. 22 for Oct. 24.

B.C. voters probably did not expect to be casting ballots in a provincial election until 2028.

However, BC NDP leader David Eby announced on Sept. 22 that he was calling a snap election, taking place one week after the 2026 municipal elections.

In his speech in September, Eby said, “For British Columbians and for Canadians, this is an existential moment. The prime minister has called this a rupture, and he is absolutely right.

“Donald Trump is attacking our workers. He’s targeting our businesses and he is threatening our sovereignty.”

However, Eby changed his messaging shortly after that announcement, moving away from the U.S. president and to the more traditional issues of housing and affordability.

An Ipsos poll, released on Oct. 13, showed that while the BC Conservatives appeared in disarray one month previously, they gained a five-point lead over the BC NDP.

As the election campaign entered the final week, a new poll from Innovative Research Group showed that the BC Conservatives were leading by five points among decided voters.

On Friday, the last poll before election day showed that the BC Conservatives have maintained that five-point lead.

The BC Conservatives appeared to be in disarray when Eby called the snap election.

On Sept. 20, BC Conservative MLA Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned as leader of the party after 13 MLAs either left or were ousted by party leadership.

Lorne Doerkson took over leadership of the party, with most of the departed MLAs rejoining.

BC Green Party leader Emily Lowan said just after the municipal election results were in: “David Eby called this snap election two years early for nobody but himself.”

Vancouver mayor-elect Pete Fry endorsed Lowan in the final week before election day, and many wondered whether the municipal election’s changes could echo in the provincial race.

by Amy Judd / Global BC

BC Conservatives projected to form majority government in 2026 election

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