White Rock mayor's name to appear on both municipal and provincial election ballots | Daily Hive

Megan Knight. (City of White Rock)

Megan Knight’s name will appear on two election ballots just one week apart: White Rock’s civic election ballot on Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026, and the provincial election ballot for Surrey South on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026.

As recently as a week ago, the incumbent White Rock mayor planned to seek re-election. Today, she announced she is running to become Surrey South’s next MLA with the Conservative Party of British Columbia.

The party has confirmed her candidacy.

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“My door has always been open, and it always will be,” said Knight in a statement today.

“I don’t have all the answers, and I’ve never pretended to. What I do have is a work ethic and a promise to tell people the truth. Families in Surrey South are working harder than ever and falling further behind. They deserve a government that respects their money and earns their trust. That’s the change B.C. needs, and I’m ready to work for it.”

Surrey South is currently represented by Brent Chapman, the husband of former BC Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay. He won the MLA seat for the party in the 2024 provincial election.

Findlay resigned as leader on Sept. 20 amid internal party turmoil. On Sept. 22, following the internal party battle surrounding his wife’s continued leadership, Chapman announced he would seek re-election under the OneBC banner.

Findlay’s departure and the snap provincial election call have rapidly reshaped B.C.’s political landscape. Lorne Doerkson has taken over as interim Conservative leader, while municipal and provincial politicians are reassessing whether to seek local or provincial office and which party to represent. Some are also considering whether to seek any re-election.

Another candidate confirmed to run in Surrey South is Elenore Sturko, who was named as the party leader of CentreBC earlier this week. Surrey South lies entirely within the City of Surrey’s geographical area and does not include White Rock.

The overlapping election campaigns have left Knight in an unusual position.

White Rock’s chief election officer declared the list of candidates for mayor and City Council on Sept. 11, when nominations closed. The deadline for candidates to withdraw was Sept. 18. Advance voting in White Rock’s civic election begins on Oct. 7.

That means Knight’s name will remain on the civic election ballot as one of three mayoral candidates, even though she is no longer pursuing another mayoral term. The two candidates still actively seeking the mayoral job are Susan Bains, a current city councillor with Together for White Rock, and realtor Chris Shields.

Knight served as a White Rock city councillor from 2014 to 2018 before being elected mayor in 2022. She won that mayoral race with 2,001 votes (37.5 per cent), ahead of incumbent Darryl Walker’s 1,811 votes (34 per cent).

Just over a year ago, Knight would have been able to hold both municipal and provincial elected office at the same time.

However, in Spring 2025, the BC NDP-led government passed legislation barring MLAs from simultaneously serving as mayors, city councillors, School Board trustees, or Park Board commissioners.

In the lead-up to the controversial snap provincial election call on Sept. 22, municipal officials and other critics urged Premier David Eby to wait until after the municipal elections. They warned that an overlapping provincial campaign would draw public and media attention away from local races. There were also calls to give the BC Conservatives time to choose a new permanent leader.

In the days following that election call, the BC NDP has seen at least four high-profile cabinet ministers announce they will not seek re-election: Ravi Kahlon, Kelly Greene, Lana Popham, and Brenda Bailey.

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