Lorne Doerkson leads B.C. Conservatives to power with thumping two-thirds majority
British Columbia has turned blue, electing a B.C. Conservative government with an overwhelming two-thirds majority.
Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson says he'll follow through on campaign promises to supercharge the province's economy, while outgoing Premier David Eby has announced his resignation as NDP leader.
Eby's decision to call a snap election two years early will go down as one of the most disastrous miscalculations in Canadian political history.
Conservatives have been elected or are leading in about 64 ridings in the 93-seat legislature, while the NDP has been reduced to about 27 ridings and the Greens won two, with Leader Emily Lowan securing a seat on Vancouver Island.
Preliminary results show the popular vote went to the Conservatives with about 48 per cent of the vote, while the NDP won about 37 per cent and the Greens 11 per cent.
Doerkson, who emerged from obscurity when he was named interim leader of the Conservatives just two days before Eby's fateful Sept. 22 election call, is expected to stage his first news conference as premier-designate today.
Preliminary turnout was about 1.8 million, representing about 48 per cent of registered voters.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 25, 2026.
Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
BC NDP Leader David Eby wins Vancouver-Point Grey, loses election
The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting that British Columbia NDP Leader David Eby has been re-elected in his riding of Vancouver-Point Grey, but his party has lost the election to the B.C. Conservative Party.
Eby has held the riding since 2013 after defeating then-premier Christy Clark of the B.C. Liberals, cementing his reputation as a political giant killer.
He would go on to become premier himself in 2022, after the late John Horgan stepped aside as NDP leader.
Eby resigned as the NDP leader tonight, five weeks after calling an election two years early in what was the biggest gamble of his political career.
Lorne Doerkson's Conservative Party has won a majority government.
Eby says he accepts full responsibility for the outcome.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.
By Wolfgang Depner | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
BC Green Leader Emily Lowan wins bid for riding on Vancouver Island
The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting victory for BC Greens Leader Emily Lowan in the Vancouver Island riding of Saanich North and the Islands.
Lowan became leader of the provincial Greens in September 2025, succeeding Sonia Furstenau.
At 26, Lowan is among the youngest leaders of a major political party in Canada.
She takes over the riding from fellow Green Rob Botterell, who won the seat in 2024 but decided not to seek re-election.
The riding is a Green stronghold, having been held by Adam Olsen from 2017 to 2024.
Before leading the Greens, Lowan was a climate action activist who played a key role in a student-led campaign at the University of Victoria that resulted in the school directing investments away from fossil fuels.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.
By Nono Shen | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.