In British Columbia, a gamble that was meant to strengthen an aging government instead handed the province to a newcomer. The Canadian Press has projected that the Conservatives will win a majority after Premier David Eby called an early election that backfired on his New Democrats. Lorne Doerkson, a Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA who only weeks ago was little known outside his own riding, is poised to lead the province, carried by a party he helped pull back together after a season of division. Whether his promises of a stronger economy and easier living can outlast the euphoria of a surprising victor
B.C. Conservatives Projected to Win Majority as Lorne Doerkson Set to Become Premier
A gamble called two years early backfired on the NDP
Mark
Why is this result such a surprise?
Mimi
Because of the timeline. Doerkson became interim leader only two days before Eby called the election on September 22, and he was a relatively unknown MLA from Cariboo-Chilcotin.
Luke
Worth noting this is a projection from the Canadian Press decision desk, not a final official count.
Mark
What was the state of the party he took over?
Mimi
It was in disarray under Kerry-Lynne Findlay's divisive leadership. Some legislators had quit, and he convinced them to return.
Luke
The report says he convinced them, but it doesn't say how, or how many came back. That's unknown here.
Mark
And Eby's side of it?
Mimi
He called the election two years early, which the report calls the biggest gamble of his political life. The NDP had been in power nine years.
Luke
We also don't have seat counts or vote shares in this report, so the size of the majority isn't established.
Mark
What does Doerkson promise?
Mimi
To "supercharge" the economy and make life more affordable. Those are campaign pledges, and no specific policies are described in this piece.
The Pulse
- A snap election, called two years early, has turned against the NDP and left Premier Eby's long-shot gamble in ruins.
- Doerkson rose to interim Conservative leader only two days before the election call, a sudden elevation that surprised the political field.
- Legislators who had scattered under Kerry-Lynne Findlay's leadership are returning to the fold, and the party is rebuilding from its own disarray.
- Doerkson is campaigning on promises to supercharge the economy and ease the cost of living, and he now faces the test of governing.
- The Conservatives are landing a majority, and the province is poised for a change in leadership that few expected a month ago.
In British Columbia, a gamble that was meant to strengthen an aging government instead handed the province to a newcomer. The Canadian Press has projected that the Conservatives will win a majority after Premier David Eby called an early election that backfired on his New Democrats. Lorne Doerkson, a Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA who only weeks ago was little known outside his own riding, is poised to lead the province, carried by a party he helped pull back together after a season of division. Whether his promises of a stronger economy and easier living can outlast the euphoria of a surprising victory is the question the coming months will answer.
The Canadian Press has projected that the B.C. Conservatives will form a majority government, a result that turns the province's political season on its head. Premier David Eby called a snap election on September 22, two years ahead of schedule, and the bet did not pay off for his New Democrats, who had governed for nine years. Eby had been premier for less than four years himself, and the early vote is now being described as the biggest gamble of his career.
The man set to take the premier's chair is Lorne Doerkson, MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin, who became interim Conservative leader only two days before the election was called. He inherited a party in disarray after Kerry-Lynne Findlay's leadership had driven several legislators out. Doerkson won them back, and the reunited Conservatives have delivered what the report calls a stunning victory.
His campaign spoke to the economy and the cost of living. He promised to supercharge the economy and accused the NDP of failing to make life more affordable after nine years in office. Now the promises move from the campaign trail to the work of government, where they will be measured against what he actually delivers.
The Canadian Press decision desk is projecting that the Conservative Party of British Columbia will form a majority government. The call came after a snap provincial election, called two years ahead of schedule, backfired on the governing NDP. The report was first published on October 24, 2026.
Lorne Doerkson is set to become premier. He took over as interim leader of the Conservatives only five weeks before the projection, and the party he inherited was in disarray.
Doerkson represents the central B.C. riding of Cariboo-Chilcotin. He rose from relative obscurity to the interim leadership just two days before the election was called, which made him a largely unknown opponent for the incumbent premier.
The party's trouble came from the leadership of Kerry-Lynne Findlay, which divided the Conservatives. Several legislators quit the party while she led it. Doerkson persuaded those who left to come back, and the reunited party then won what the report calls a stunning victory.
Outgoing NDP Premier David Eby called the election on September 22. The report describes it as the biggest gamble of his political life. Eby had been premier for less than four years, and his party had been in power for nine. The early vote did not pay off.
Doerkson's campaign message was about the economy and the cost of living. He told British Columbians that the Conservatives would "supercharge" the economy. He also criticized the NDP for not doing enough to make life more affordable after nine years in government.
What comes next is the transition. Doerkson, who has led his party for just over a month, will take office as premier, and his promises on the economy and affordability will be tested once he governs.
Notable Quotes
Doerkson said the Conservatives would "supercharge" the economy.— Lorne Doerkson, B.C. Conservative leader
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