B.C. NDP falls short of full candidate slate as Conservatives field 93

The B.C. New Democratic Party has failed to nominate a candidate in one riding for this month's snap election, leaving it one candidate short of a provincewide slate. Elections BC released the final candidate list Sunday, showing 355 candidates vying for seats in the Oct. 24 vote. The B.C. Conservatives are the only party running a candidate in all 93 ridings, with 92 for the NDP and 73 for the B.C. Greens. The NDP's absence from Peace River North marks the first election since 1991 in which one of B.C.'s top two competing parties has not fielded a full slate.

NDP campaign director Cheryl Oates attributed the gap to incomplete paperwork for the party's intended candidate in Peace River North. In that riding, incumbent Jordan Kealy, who was elected as a Conservative in 2024 but later sat as an independent, will face Conservative candidate Curtis Whitford. Kealy was charged with sexual assault in June for offences alleged to have occurred in 2024 and has maintained his innocence while awaiting a jury trial. At a campaign stop in Comox, NDP Leader David Eby said it was disappointing that paperwork problems prevented a great candidate from proceeding.

Eby contrasted his party's recruitment with that of the Conservatives. "We certainly would never run people with hateful views, conspiracy theorists, anti-vaxxers, MAGA apologists, in order to fill out our slate like the Conservatives are doing," Eby said. He referenced a recent interview in which interim Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson was questioned about Chilliwack North candidate Heather Maahs, who has made past comments appearing to conflate homosexuality and pedophilia. Doerkson said he did not share Maahs's views but that she would remain in caucus.

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In response, the Conservative Party said it is proud of its 93 candidates and that the party under Doerkson will treat every British Columbian with respect. "The NDP called a cynical snap election that only they knew was coming and they still couldn't run a full slate," said Alex Shiff, the party's director of media relations. The Conservatives are running under an interim leader for the first time since the Election Act was enacted in 1995, after Doerkson replaced Kerry-Lynne Findlay following her resignation on Sept. 20.

Hamish Telford, a political science associate professor at the University of the Fraser Valley, said securing candidates in all ridings is quite a feat for the Conservatives considering the turmoil they faced weeks ago. He said the two largest parties seem neck and neck and the election will come down to how smaller parties perform in particular ridings. Telford said it would be very interesting to watch vote splits in those ridings. He pointed to Vancouver-Quilchena, where candidates from five parties are running, as a riding that could see a surprising result.

The final list also includes 35 candidates for CentreBC and 33 for OneBC, two parties that splintered from the Conservatives in 2025. OneBC's roster does not include former Conservative Brent Chapman, who had been announced as a candidate. Chapman is the husband of former leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay and had quit the Conservative caucus to join OneBC on Sept. 22. OneBC did not provide a statement on his absence by deadline. The party's campaign team said dealing with the Conservatives has been impossible due to their instability and inconsistency.

On the campaign trail Sunday, Eby announced a plan to raise income taxes on B.C.'s highest earners to fund health care and cost-of-living measures. The plan, starting in the 2027 tax year, would increase rates on the top two brackets by 2 percentage points and introduce a new 24.5 per cent bracket for income over $1 million. Eby said the changes would generate up to $1 billion in 2028-29 and affect only the top 4 per cent of earners, with no change for those earning $190,000 or less. Advance voting will take place from Oct. 16 to 21, with election day on Oct. 24.

With files from The Canadian Press, The Globe and Mail and CBC News