OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie says her party will run candidates in two ridings it had previously said it wouldn’t contest against the BC Conservatives, citing a lack of reciprocity by the Tories.
The BC Conservatives announced on Sept. 30 that they are running candidate Carson Binda in Vancouver-Quilchena, the same riding Brodie represented as an MLA and will run in again in this election.
OneBC is still not running candidates in four ridings where it says BC Conservatives with similar beliefs are running. Brodie said in a previous social media post that she wants to avoid vote-splitting among candidates she views as genuinely conservative.
The two ridings where OneBC will now run candidates are North Island, where the BC Conservatives’ candidate is Anna Kindy, and Kelowna Centre, where the BC Conservatives’ candidate is Kristina Loewen, Brodie said on Sept. 30.
The party still will not oppose Heather Maahs in Chilliwack North, Sharon Hartwell in Bulkley Valley-Stikine, Macklin McCall in West Kelowna-Peachland, and Lawrence Mok in Maple Ridge East. The party will also not run a candidate in Peace River North, which was represented by Independent Jordan Kealy before the election was called.
Kealy responded by thanking Claypool and OneBC in a subsequent social media post.
“I respect your decision to not run against candidates with real conservative values and principles,” he wrote. “I look forward to working with you more in the future if I can win here and represent my region as a strong independent conservative voice.”
Brodie, who was expelled from the B.C. Conservatives in 2025 by then-leader John Rustad because of her remarks on residential schools, says she aligns with these candidates’ positions on removing sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) curriculum from schools.
“I believe British Columbians deserve the right to vote for a candidate with conservative values, and One BC will make that possible,” she said. “Just as we stayed out of the Abbotsford Mission byelection because Carolyn Finlay is a Conservative, we will not challenge true-principal Conservatives.”
She noted that OneBC and the BC Conservative Party had previously been working in cooperation, but said that ended with Findlay’s departure last week.
Findlay announced her resignation less than four months after winning the Conservative leadership contest. It came after an intense period of turmoil within the Conservative caucus, marked by numerous MLA departures and removals.
Interim leader Lorne Doerkson welcomed back five MLAs to the caucus the day after Findlay resigned and another seven legislators left CentreBC on Sept. 22 to rejoin the Conservatives after resigning or being removed.
At the same time, MLA Brent Chapman left the Conservative caucus to OneBC on the day the B.C. election was called. Chapman, who is married to Findlay, cited internal party disagreements and a shift away from what he viewed as core conservative values.
NDP Leader David Eby called a snap election on Sept. 22, citing the need for a strong mandate during a period marked by economic strain and escalating trade conflicts with the United States.
Eby has refuted suggestions from reporters and commentators that calling an early election is intended to capitalize on the turmoil within the Conservative party rather than addressing U.S. tariffs.
The NDP maintained a slim majority of 47 seats before the legislature was dissolved. The BC Conservatives held 35 seats, the Greens and OneBC had two each and CentreBC had one. Four MLAs sat as Independents and two seats were vacant.
