Members of the B.C. Conservative Party will choose a new leader in seven weeks, with six candidates remaining in the race.
The party says each candidate brings their own ides and vision for the future of British Columbia.
Hamish Telford, a political scientist at the University of Fraser Valley, says party members must focus on choosing a candidate who can defeat the B.C. NDP and form government.
“This person will be charged with recruiting new candidates, raising funds and ultimately trying to get elected,” Telford said.
Telford says the NDP still raises more money than the B.C. Conservatives, despite the party’s current struggles. He adds the B.C. Conservatives must be more united than they have been in the past to shift momentum.
In December 2025, John Rustad stepped down as the leader of the B.C. Conservatives after being deemed “professionally incapacitated” by party members. Trevor Halford was then named interim leader.
“If the party is disunited, bickering and squabbling, as it was under John Rustad, you lose people, potential new candidates and funding,” Telford said.
Most candidates are building campaigns focused on conservative ideas, which Telford says is the key to signing up members and winning the race. However, the successful candidate must change their strategy once an election comes around.
Fort St. John city councillor Trevor Bolin led the B.C. Conservatives in 2019. Bolin says the new leader must appeal to a majority of British Columbians.
“We must have a ‘big tent’, centre-right party,” he said. “We need to all come together for the betterment of the province.”
Larry Neufeld, the B.C. Conservative MLA for Peace River South, supports the idea of bringing all conservatives under a “big tent.”
“We need to let go of our personal angst and our personal needs. We need to accept the fact that we’re here to represent everyone,” Neufeld said.
Neufeld has not publicly supported a candidate in the race, but says he wants the next leader to show the party is a government-in-waiting.
Party insiders say Neufeld’s stature within the caucus is continuing to grow, which could put him in a position to be a kingmaker if the leadership vote reaches a second ballot.
“The situation of the caucus at the moment is very cohesive and strong,” Neufeld said. “We are absolutely ready to fix this province.”
As for Jordan Kealy, the independent MLA for Peace River North and former B.C. Conservatives member, he has publicly endorsed Kerry-Lynne Findlay, a former Cabinet Minister under the government of Stephen Harper. If she wins the race, Kealy says he would rejoin the party.
“She understands what is happening in rural communities as well as in urban environments. She can balance that in a very sustainable manner,” he said, adding that Findlay visited the Peace Region and is aware of major issues such as the aging Taylor Bridge.
Kealy adds Findlay is ready to go to work right away in case a snap election is called. Rumours of an election have surfaced after Premier David Eby said he would bring in legislation suspending parts of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA).
That bill is expected to be tabled next week and would serve as a confidence vote, meaning if it doesn’t pass, it would trigger an election.
-Noah Abel CJDC
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