Last updated September 24, 2026
As previously reported, Premier David Eby called a snap election just days after the BC Conservative Party’s former leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned following a wave of departures and ejections from the party, with the party then appointing Lorne Doerkson as its new interim leader.
In the moments following Doerkson’s appointment and a now-present provincial election, several former caucus members and leadership hopefuls have rallied around Doerkson.
Here’s a list of the MLAs and candidates who have been invited back to the fold and the MLAs who will be running under the BC Conservative banner in this month-long election.
Before the election was called, the BC Conservatives had confirmed that five MLAs had been invited back to the party.
Among those invited back were MLAs who had been kicked out of caucus by Kerry-Lynne Findlay within 24 hours of her resignation, including former BC Conservative leader John Rustad, former interim leader Trevor Halford, and the MLA for Skeena, Claire Rattée.
Rustad confirmed on Thursday that he would not be seeking re-election in Nechako Lakes this election.
Before the writ dropped, Scott McInnis and Linda Hepner, who both left the BC Conservative caucus over differences with Findlay’s direction, were also invited to rejoin the BC Conservative party.
McInnis rejoined the Conservative Party while Hepner announced that she would not run again under its banner.
After BC NDP Leader and Premier David Eby announced the dissolution of the legislature and a snap election to take place on October 24, 2026 — which is running simultaneously with municipal elections in the province — others have announced they are returning to the BC Conservative team.
Peter Milobar, a former BC Conservative leadership hopeful who left the party and formed CentreBC during Findlay’s leadership of the party, has announced his return and that he’s bringing several of the MLAs who joined him back into the BC Conservative Party.
Along with Milobar, other former members of his short-lived CentreBC party, including Ian Paton, Bruce Banman, Aaliya Warbus, Rosalyn Bird, Teresa Way and Donegal Wilson, are rejoining the party.
The only member of CentreBC not joining under the conservative banner is Eleanor Sturko, who is now serving as the sole member and leader of the centrist party.
The Conservative Party of British Columbia has announced that Brennan Day, who also left during Findlay’s brief stint as leader, was invited back to run as a candidate, claiming that “all conservatives across BC” must unite against the NDP’s “economic devastation.”.
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Teresa Wat, another who left under Findlay’s leadership, has announced that she has rejoined the party to take on the NDP.
Aaliya Warbus similarly announced that she was coming back into the fold to present a united front against Eby’s snap election.
Along with MLAs, the party is also seeing some former BC Conservative leadership hopefuls who didn’t hold a seat emerge, deciding to unite under Doerkson’s leadership.
Caroline Elliot, who narrowly lost the BC Conservative leadership race, has reportedly also thrown in her hat to take on Eby’s NDP government.
This article will be updated as new candidates announce their candidacy for the Conservative Party of British Columbia.
Watching from Manitoba. i feel sorry for the electorate. What a decision to make . Vote for the known corrupt NDP or the conservatives that literally bullied their grassroots elected leader until she resigned . No one worth voting for.
Flip flop candidates, all hoping to become the leader after the election. They seem to forget the leader of the conservatives was elected by grass roots members, and kicked out by the bureaucrats and these candidates themselves , I hope the grass roots in their ridings show them the door!