BC NDP falls short of full candidate slate for snap provincial election it called
Premier David Eby’s BC NDP will be absent from the ballot in one riding in the snap provincial general election his government called.
Elections BC’s final candidate list confirms the governing party has 92 candidates across British Columbia’s 93 ridings, leaving Peace River North without a BC NDP contender after nominations closed at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3. The Conservative Party of British Columbia is the only party contesting every MLA seat.
The omission is particularly striking given that the governing party with a majority chose the timing of the early election, with the snap election call itself on Sept. 22 serving to grow the size of the BC NDP’s majority hold.
It also breaks with the BC NDP’s recent record: the party ran candidates in all 87 ridings in the 2020 provincial general election and all 93 in the 2024 provincial general election.
- You might also like:
- Opinion: David Eby's BC NDP needs a better reason than Trump for a snap election
- BC NDP's David Eby says he will not create a new annual TransLink levy of up to $150 on every vehicle in Metro Vancouver
- Here's how David Eby plans to lower grocery prices in B.C.
- 'Too little, too late': B.C. reacts to Eby's promise to slash gas prices
- BC NDP chooses Surrey for South Asian museum location, instead of Vancouver
- B.C.'s capital city of Victoria and Saanich to hold amalgamation plebiscite during the civic election
With all that said, for decades, Peace River North is a riding the BC NDP has historically struggled to gain any real footing, never mind win. For example, in the 2024 provincial general election, the BC NDP’s Ian McMahon secured just 828 votes — far behind the Conservative’s Jordan Kealy with 11,213 votes and independent (former BC Liberals/BC United) Don Davies with 3,038 votes.
Voters in Peace River North will have just two names to choose from this month: Conservative candidate Curtis Whitford and independent candidate Jordan Kealy.
The Conservatives highlighted the BC NDP’s shortfall in an Oct. 4 announcement celebrating their complete slate. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson said his party had assembled its team in less than two weeks.
“The enthusiasm we’ve seen across BC has been incredible,” said Mauro Francis, president of the Conservative Party of British Columbia.
“In every region, from small towns to big cities, local members and volunteers stepped up to find great candidates and get them nominated. British Columbians are ready for change, and we’re seeing that energy in every riding in the province.”
According to the BC NDP, the paperwork for their Peace River-North candidate was incomplete before Election BC’s filing deadline. Instead, the BC NDP emphasized its candidates’ experience and diversity.
“Fighting for all British Columbians starts with running a team that represents all British Columbians,” said Eby in a statement on Oct. 3.
“These candidates bring expertise from all walks of life. They know the challenges British Columbians are facing and will apply that real-world experience to support people.”
For the BC NDP, women make up 60 per cent of its candidates, while 38 candidates are Indigenous or from visible minority communities. It also said 23 candidates of its slate have previously been elected to municipal government.
In the days following the election call, the BC NDP has seen a number of high-profile cabinet ministers announce they will not seek re-election, such as Ravi Kahlon, Kelly Greene, Lana Popham, and Brenda Bailey.
Elsewhere, the BC Greens are running a total of 73 candidates, followed by CentreBC with 35 and OneBC with 33. Elections BC confirmed 355 candidates overall, including 15 running as independent or unaffiliated candidates.
The provincial general election voting day is Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. This comes just one week after the civic elections across B.C. on Saturday, Oct. 17.
- You might also like:
- Opinion: David Eby's BC NDP needs a better reason than Trump for a snap election
- BC NDP's David Eby says he will not create a new annual TransLink levy of up to $150 on every vehicle in Metro Vancouver
- Here's how David Eby plans to lower grocery prices in B.C.
- 'Too little, too late': B.C. reacts to Eby's promise to slash gas prices
- BC NDP chooses Surrey for South Asian museum location, instead of Vancouver
- B.C.'s capital city of Victoria and Saanich to hold amalgamation plebiscite during the civic election