B.C. election latest: Conservatives win majority in election, Eby resigns as leader

VANCOUVER — The British Columbia Conservative Party has won a majority government after NDP Leader David Eby’s decision to call a snap election two years early backfired in spectacular fashion.

Here are the latest developments.

All times are local.

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11:39 p.m.

More than three hours after polls closed in B.C., the Conservatives hold a dominant position in the legislature in the latest Canadian Press decision desk projections.

The Conservatives are projected to win in 56 ridings and leading in another eight, while the New Democrats are elected in 24 while leading in three.

The Greens, meanwhile, retained their two seats including Leader Emily Lowan in Saanich North and the Islands.

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11:02 p.m.

The mother of B.C. Greens Leader Emily Lowan says she is extremely overwhelmed by her daughter’s victory in Saanich North and the Islands.

Anne MacLaurin says she is very proud of her daughter, who retains the seat for the Greens which the party has held since 2017.

MacLaurin adds her daughter is “a force” and has what it takes to take on a B.C. legislature dominated by the Conservatives.

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10:50 p.m.

Hamish Telford, associate professor of political science at the University of the Fraser Valley, says the British Columbia New Democrats should have called off the snap election when Lorne Doerkson took over the Conservatives.

Telford says the NDP anticipated a campaign against Kerry-Lynne Findlay, and the party should have held off on calling an election citing that governing parties do not call elections when the Official Opposition is leaderless.

“But when they called the snap election, I think that irritated voters who were ready for a change,” the political scientist says.

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10:45 p.m.

Former B.C. Conservatives leadership candidate Caroline Elliott says Lorne Doerkson has “earned it” in becoming B.C.’s next premier.

Elliott was asked how the Conservatives will handle Doerkson’s status as interim leader and says it is “more of a question for the party,” but adds he has earned more votes in the election “than we could ever dream of in a leadership race.”

She had lost a narrow race to be Conservative leader earlier this year to Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who resigned just days before the election was called.

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10:22 p.m.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has congratulated B.C. Conservatives premier-designate Lorne Doerkson on his victory in the provincial election.

In a statement on X, Carney says he looks forward to working with Doerkson as premier on housing, energy and other sectors in a bid to “build a stronger British Columbia and a stronger Canada for all.”

Carney also thanked outgoing NDP premier and leader David Eby in the same statement, noting Ottawa and the province had launched major projects and unlocked export markets together during Eby’s tenure.

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10:20 p.m.

Former NDP leader and health minister Adrian Dix says tonight’s election represents “one of the most disappointing nights in the modern history” of the BC NDP.

Dix, who was re-elected in Vancouver-Renfrew, says British Columbians had a choice in the election, and they chose Conservatives’ Lorne Doerkson to be their premier.

Dix adds that tonight is not the time to analyze the NDP’s loss, but rather “the time to commiserate with candidates, who didn’t win” as well as to “recognize the candidates who did win to prepare ourselves for a period of Opposition.”

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10:15 p.m.

Green Leader Emily Lowan says there is a “heaviness” in her heart over the Conservative win, at the same time that she and her party feels the joy of victory.

Lowan won in Saanich North and the Islands, and incumbent Green legislator Jeremy Valeriote secured re-election in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky.

But Lowan says she’s “scared of what’s to come” under a B.C. Conservative majority government, adding that Lorne Doerkson’s party “stands against everything” that brought the Green movement together.

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9:51 p.m.

Interim B.C. Conservative leader and premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has delivered a rousing speech to supporters after his party was swept into power in a stunning defeat of the incumbent New Democrats.

Doerkson went on stage at an election night event in Vancouver amid fireworks, with crowds of supporters hugging him and shaking his hand.

He promised to follow through on his campaign vow to “supercharge” the provincial economy.

Doerkson says people in B.C. “want a fair shot at building something” in the province, and the Conservatives will “welcome capital back” to the provincial economy.

He also promised to get liquefied natural gas production tripled in the province by 2035.

Doerkson also reiterated his support for full publicly funded health care as well as his campaign promise of no new taxes.

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9:31 p.m.

B.C. New Democrat Leader David Eby has conceded the provincial election and says he will resign as party leader.

Eby says his family has “paid a very significant cost” for his work in politics, and he is now keen to spend sometime with his wife and children.

He adds it is time for the provincial NDP to find new leadership within the party.

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9:23 p.m.

The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting that Green Leader Emily Lowan has won her seat in Saanich North and the Islands.

The Greens have held the seat since 2017 and Lowan was running in the place of incumbent Rob Botterell, who decided not to seek re-election.

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9:19 p.m.

BC Federation of Labour president Sussanne Skidmore says people have heard “lout and clear” that voters “want to see bold changes” with the election results.

Skidmore is attending the NDP election night event as The Canadian Press is projecting a majority Conservative government.

She says labour groups are ready to sit down with “whoever becomes the next premier” and work on being “thoughtful about the decisions they make.”

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9:12 p.m.

The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting that both OneBC interim leader Dallas Brodie and CentreBC Leader Elenore Sturko will lose their bids to stay in the legislature.

Sturko is projected to lose in Surrey South, a seat she had held from 2022 to 2024, first as a BC Liberal before she crossed the floor to the Conservatives.

Brodie is projected to lose in Vancouver-Quilchena to B.C. Conservative candidate Carson Binda, who is the former provincial director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

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9:01 p.m.

The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting that the provincial Conservatives have won a majority government in the B.C. election.

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8:52 p.m.

The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting that the B.C. Conservatives have won government in the 2026 provincial election.

The win puts an end to almost a decade of New Democrat rule in the province under John Horgan and David Eby.

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8:49 p.m.

The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting that Conservatives interim leader Lorne Doerkson has been re-elected in his riding of Cariboo-Chilcotin.

Doerkson has held the seat since 2020.

The once-obscure legislator became interim Conservative leader two days before Saturday’s provincial election was called on Sept. 22.

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8:45

The Canadian Press decision desk is calling a victory for Caroline Elliott in the riding of West Vancouver-Capilano.

Elliott finished second in the Conservative leadership race behind Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

Findlay resigned had the job about four months but resigned two days before the election was called and Lorne Doerkson took on the job.

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8:45 p.m.

The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting that Independent Jordan Kealy has lost his bid for re-election in Peace River North.

Kealy was elected in 2024 as a B.C. Conservative, but he resigned from the party in 2025, then was charged this June with sexual assault, which he denies.

He has been defeated by Conservative Curtis Whitford.

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8:35 p.m.

Former federal Conservative cabinet minister Stockwell Day says the provincial Conservatives took the right strategy in this campaign to win voters.

Day says he believes people “just want back to normal,” and it was correct for Conservatives interim leader Lorne Doerkson to “stand back” and let NDP Leader David Eby “keep talking.”

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8:33 p.m.

A former secretary of the BC NDP says interim Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson was a tougher opponent than expected.

Brian Gardiner says he would have argued for the NDP to wait a couple of weeks before calling the election.

Gardiner says Doerkson’s Conservatives “united in a much stronger way than was expected.”

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8:21 p.m.

The Canadian Press decision desk is calling its first result, a B.C. Conservative win in West Kelowna-Peachland.

It’s a safe Conservative riding that’s been retained by Macklin McCall.

Early tallies across B.C. show Conservatives leading in most ridings.

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8:15 p.m.

There’s a stark contrast of mood and attendance at the two major parties’ election night events in Vancouver.

There’s a large crowd at the Conservatives’ event at the Rocky Mountaineer Station where supporters are watching election coverage on the big screen in the front of the room.

The NDP event at the Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront has plenty of reporters but much sparser attendance from supporters.

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8:00 p.m.

Polls have closed across British Columbia as voting officially concludes in the provincial election.

Elections BC says advance votes will be tabulated electronically and are being counted first.

Almost 900,000 people, or 24 per cent of registered voters, cast ballots in the advance polls.

Votes that were cast on Saturday will be counted manually due to what the agency called the logistics of the snap election.

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7:43 p.m.

Greater Victoria Teachers’ Association president Carolyn Howe says she has felt disappointment with the NDP, despite the party’s history with labour movements.

Howe is running for the Greens in Victoria-Swan Lake and says “it’s time for something better.”

She says people had been waiting on the NDP government to act on issues such as public services but nothing has happened.

Speaking at the Greens election-night event, Howe says she is excited for how the Greens will do in the election and thinks the party will “have so much to celebrate.”

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7:40 p.m.

British Columbia Government and Service Employees’ Union president Paul Finch is at the NDP election night event in Vancouver and says he hopes voters had the chance to assess the different platforms between the parties before they cast their ballots.

Finch says he is hopeful that the voters will bring a “strong” and “progressive” government but adds he himself did not get as much information from the platforms as he would have liked.

He adds that the union has planned for all circumstances stemming from the election, but it’s too early to tell on what the group would do in dealing with a possible Conservative government.

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7:33 p.m.

A B.C. Conservative candidate arriving at the party’s election night event in Vancouver says the mood is “cautiously optimistic” as polls are set to close.

Carson Binda, the Conservative candidate for Vancouver-Quilchena opposite former party member and current OneBC interim leader Dallas Brodie, says people are “eager for change” and all candidates are “100 per cent” behind interim leader Lorne Doerkson.

Binda says he does not want to “count our chickens before they hatch,” but the local campaign isn’t concerned about Brodie splitting the vote as the Conservatives “had a hard time finding OneBC supporters.”

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6:21 p.m.

Supporters have begun arriving at the B.C. Green Party’s election night event in the Greater Victoria area, including outgoing MLA Rob Botterell.

Botterell decided not to seek re-election, clearing the way for Leader Emily Lowan to run.

He says he is proud of Lowan and the party’s campaign after NDP Leader David Eby called a snap election.

The outgoing MLA says people in his riding have told him they are “totally impressed” with Lowan’s poise and advocacy for Green causes, as well as her passion and vision.


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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2026.

The Canadian Press