British Columbia Premier David Eby has called an election just under two years into his mandate that will see voters heading to the polls on Oct. 24.
Eby met with B.C. Lt.-Gov. Wendy Cocchia at Government House in Victoria on Sept. 22 and asked her to dissolve the legislature, triggering the provincial election.
The election call comes amid leadership turmoil and defections within the Opposition BC Conservative Party, as well as ongoing economic tensions and trade disputes with the United States.
Citing U.S. President Donald Trump as a main factor, Eby said he needs a new mandate for his governing NDP to work on providing economic stability for British Columbians amid the ongoing trade dispute with the United States.
“The conditions in our country have changed, and they’re changing quickly by the hour,” Eby said during a press conference, adding that government revenues have been “squeezed” by American tariffs.
“That is exactly why we need to act to protect British Columbians from the shocks coming from the United States, to lower the costs that people are facing.”
The official campaign begins immediately, leading up to election day on Oct. 24. This places the provincial vote just one week after B.C.’s local municipal elections on Oct. 17, a timing conflict that local government officials had previously asked Eby to avoid.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said that calling a provincial election during the municipal election “makes it that much harder to reach voters when turnout during municipal elections is already much lower than federal or provincial elections.” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim raised similar concerns.
Eby refuted suggestions that the election is about capitalizing on the turmoil within the Conservative party rather than U.S. tariffs.
“I don’t think it’s ever wrong to go to British Columbians to ask them what they think, what direction we should go,” Eby told reporters. “But in this moment, in this existential moment … this choice is one that should go to British Columbians.”
The snap election call catches the official Opposition in a state of leadership transition. Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned as leader of the BC Conservative Party on Sept. 20 following internal disputes and caucus departures that saw 13 MLAs leave her party during her four-month tenure.
She had been set to run in a byelection in Abbotsford-Mission but that has now been cancelled due to the upcoming election.
Lorne Doerkson was named interim leader after Findlay resigned. Hours after the election was called, seven MLAs who had left the BC Conservatives to join CentreBC, led by Peter Milobar, rejoined the Conservatives, along with Milobar. A day before, former leader John Rustad, former interim leader Trevor Halford, and three other MLAs who had been ousted or resigned from caucus also rejoined BC Conservatives.
“This cynical election is not what British Columbians asked for, but it offers our province the hope for real change,” the BC Conservative Party said in a statement.
“Lorne Doerkson and Peter Milobar have come together to give British Columbians a viable governing alternative to the NDP chaos. It is long past time for change.”
In its statement, the party focused on taxes, crime, drugs, government expenditure, and deficits.
Meanwhile, Surrey South MLA Brent Chapman, who is Findlay’s husband, left the BC Conservatives on Sept. 22 to join the OneBC Party, which was co-founded in 2025 by former BC Conservative MLA Dallas Brodie, who was ousted by Rustad.
Brodie criticized Eby’s election call, and said her party is growing and looks “forward to prosecuting a campaign based on our belief in OneBC for all British Columbians, irrespective of their heritage or socioeconomic status.”
Green Party Leader Emily Lowan called the election call “a brazen attempt to hold onto power.”
“BC deserves a better political alternative, one that doesn’t put their needs above yours, cave to corporate interests and break promises,” she said.
CentreBC criticized Milobar for abandoning the party, while saying it will “put forward a serious, stable option in the next election to defeat the disastrous NDP government.”
Before the legislature was dissolved following the election call, the NDP held a narrow majority with 47 seats. The BC Conservatives held 35 seats, the Greens two, OneBC two, CentreBC one, while four MLAs sat as Independents and two seats were vacant.
The last election was held on Oct. 19, 2024, putting the NDP just one year and 11 months into its mandate.
