On May 30, 2026, Kerry-Lynne Findlay (KLF) won the Conservative Party of British Columbia’s (CPBC) first contested leadership race. The count went to four ballots, with KLF winning 51% and the runner up, Caroline Elliott, winning 49%. After a divisive three-month campaign, KLF will now take over as the Leader of the Official Opposition with a caucus comprising 39 seats. She also inherits a party that is continuing its work to evolve from a protest movement into a functioning political operation that many view as the government-in-waiting.
Background
This job of finding a new leader began in December 2025 with the resignation of John Rustad as party leader. Less than 14 months after Rustad nearly brought the party to government, the future of the CPBC was in serious question. The legislative session had been rife with interpersonal disputes, media leaks, and the exit of five MLAs from caucus. Following a series of public disputes over party leadership, Rustad resigned to prevent what he believed would be a “civil war” in the party. The party’s board of directors appointed Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford to the interim leadership, a role for which Halford has received much praise.
Kerry-Lynne Findlay
Findlay served three terms in the House of Commons from 2011-2025, with a four-year break from 2015-2019. She served as Minister of National Revenue under Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as Associate Minister of National Defence, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Chief Opposition Whip in Pierre Poilievre’s Official Opposition.
KLF has promised to “restore common sense” in British Columbia and focused her campaign on protecting property rights, improving public safety while prioritizing parents and families. She will need to win a byelection to sit as an MLA in the BC Legislature. She indicated plans are in the works and said she would run “as soon as possible.”
Findlay is married to MLA Brent Chapman who has represented the riding of Surrey South since 2024.
The Campaign
Through attrition, eleven candidates whittled down to five on the final ballot. These candidates were Peter Milobar, Yuri Fulmer, Iain Black, Caroline Elliott and Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
While Findlay ultimately proved victorious, through the course of the race, Caroline Elliott consistently polled in first place, with the prediction market website Polymarket giving her chances of winning consistently over 60%. Elliott’s perceived lead made her campaign a target of the other candidates and she struggled to outmaneuver these attacks.
Throughout the race, the candidates agreed on the fundamental issue set. All five candidates supported repealing DRIPA (the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act), reversing the drug decriminalization and safe supply regime, expanding resource development and reforms to public finances. However, Milobar’s and Elliott’s past involvement with the BC Liberals made them vulnerable to attacks from the more populist wing of the party. Iain Black was able to avoid most of the criticism for his past involvement with the BC Liberals, while Yuri Fulmer’s campaign was significantly impacted by the release of a montage of progressive statements he had made while chancellor of Capilano University.
Election Night
More than 25,000 of the 26,000 eligible members voted by preferential ballot, with online voting spanning from May 23-29. Ultimately, Findlay defeated Caroline Elliott in the fourth round 51%-49%. While KLF received 30.5% on the first ballot, Elliott was the broader second-choice candidate, however the strong first ballot support carried Findlay over the finish line. Following her victory speech, CPBC caucus, as well as of the other leadership candidates joined KLF on stage as a demonstration of unity, signalling that the party is committed to working together and focusing on winning the next general election.
What is next?
BC Conservatives are now committed to following through on Findlay’s campaign promises. KLF ran on a platform of repealing DRIPA, reversing harm reduction, expanding resource extraction development, fiscal restraint, and protecting property rights. The repeal of DRIPA will have material impacts on how business is conducted in the province. Issues relating to co-governance, land use permitting, co-ownership requirements and consultation will now become openly a part of the body politic. A Findlay led government will would mean a significant shift towards deregulation and resource development expansion. Coordinated political pressure from the opposition caucus will mount pressure on the government to move the needle towards faster permitting and approval, which could result in business-friendly changes even without a change of government. Meanwhile, Premier Eby’s thin majority margin will continue to be a vulnerability for the legislature’s stability. A one-seat majority means that a death, a resignation, a floor-crossing, a by-election, or any number of other factors could push the government into a minority situation. This fragility existed prior to Findlay and increases the stakes of her by election. However, Findlay will choose a riding safe-enough that the contest should be relatively low-drama. Once in the house, expect a more combative posture from the opposition. The NDP has already began to brand KLF as a far right extremist, with the intent of courting moderate, former BC United/BC Liberal voters.
Conclusion
Kerry-Lynne Findlay is now the Leader of the Official Opposition with a 39-seat caucus. As leader, her priority will be uniting all factions of the party that has suffered from intense infighting since the 2024 election. She will then need to secure a seat in the legislature and establish herself and her caucus as the alternative to David Eby and his NDP government.
