What to know
- In the 2026 B.C. general election, British Columbians elected Conservative party interim-leader Lorne Doerkson as premier.
- He unseated NDP leader David Eby, who has served as premier since 2024.
- Doerkson worked in the newspaper publishing industry for 20 years before making the move to politics. He was first elected as MLA in 2020.
- He became interim-leader of the B.C. Conservative party in Sept. 2026 when then leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned.
In a predictable upset, British Columbians have elected the Conservative party’s Lorne Doerkson as premier.
On Saturday, B.C. residents went to the polls to cast their votes in the snap election, a decision made by outgoing premier and B.C. New Democratic Party (NDP) leader David Eby, who was elected to the province’s top seat in 2022 with a narrow majority. He obtained 47 seats and formed a third consecutive NDP government.
In a misguided effort to secure another four years of premiership, Eby called for a snap election on Sept. 22, sending voters to the polls prematurely.
According to Elections BC, voter turnout dipped to the lowest in 30 years. Only 48 per cent of British Columbians voted, compared to 58.45 per cent in 2024. Thirty-years ago in 1996, nearly two-thirds of voters showed up at the polls at 71.5 per cent.
The B.C. Conservative party swept the election in a landslide, earning 63 out of 93 seats. In 2024, they won 44 seats. But despite the gain in seats, the Conservatives received almost 50,000 fewer votes, promoting a continued push for proportional representation from frustrated voters.
Who is Lorne Doerkson?
Born and raised in British Columbia, Doerkson spent his early years in New Westminster before moving to Salmon Arm in B.C.’s interior as a teenager. Before entering politics, he worked in the newspaper industry as a publisher with Black Press, a company that — as of 2022 — handled 106 titles across Canada.
Doerkson’s first foray with politics came in 2020, when he was elected as the provincial Liberal Party’s Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Chariboo–Chilcotin.
In 2024, he made legislative history by introducing Carter’s Law, a bill named after a 9-year-old who died from a wildfire exacerbated asthma attack. If passed, the bill would force the provincial government to account for community health risks, protecting those with respiratory conditions. As it wasn’t introduced by the reigning party, the bill died.
Later that same year, Doerkson switched allegiance to the Conservative party, winning his second term as a MLA. Towards the end of September 2026, Doerkson was elected as interim-leader of the B.C. Conservatives after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned.
In the lead-up to the snap election, Doerkson campaigned on fast-tracking housing construction, amending zoning laws better suited for communities, loosening disability assistance requirements, making childcare more affordable, and backing liquified natural gas pipeline projects.
He is expected to be sworn in as premier sometime after Nov. 18, when the election results are finalized.
