BC Conservatives win majority as Eby concedes defeat

British Columbia’s Conservatives have won a majority government in the province’s snap election on Saturday 24 October, ending nine years of NDP rule and giving the province its first Conservative government in nearly a century. Interim Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson is premier-elect, with the result projected by CBC News and CTV News within hours of the polls closing.

Premier David Eby conceded on election night, telling supporters he accepted full responsibility for the defeat and would resign as leader of the BC NDP, after giving the party’s new caucus and provincial council time to choose an interim leader. “It has been the honor of my life to serve as Premier of British Columbia,” he said.

Eby called the snap election in September, two years before a general election was due, gambling that his party could strengthen its narrow majority. The gamble backfired: the NDP, in power since 2017 under John Horgan and then Eby, was swept from office after a campaign dominated by the cost of living, housing and the province’s record deficit.

Doerkson, installed as interim leader only weeks before the campaign after the resignation of Kerry-Lynne Findlay, told supporters: “We are going to super-charge British Columbia.” He has pledged to get the province “back on track”, with tax cuts and a major expansion of natural gas production. Prime Minister Mark Carney congratulated Doerkson on his victory, saying he looked forward to working with him as premier.

Sources: Sunday Guardian (https://sundayguardianlive.com/world/british-columbia-election-ebys-snap-election-gamble-ends-nine-years-of-ndp-rule-as-conservatives-win-first-majority-in-nearly-a-century-uk-news-311802/); NPI’s Cascadia Advocate (https://www.nwprogressive.org/weblog/2026/10/british-columbias-progressive-government-defeated-in-snap-provincial-election-as-conservatives-projected-to-win-majority.html); Northline (https://northline.today/story/doerkson-leads-conservatives-to-majority-as-eby-concedes-and-will-step-down-as-n); WSNext (https://wsnext.com/79333d7-Provincial-election-Economic-policy/).