Lorne Doerkson was energetic and nearly breathless as he took the stage Saturday night, after his B.C. Conservatives swept to a majority government in Saturday’s provincial general election, according to preliminary results.
“I am going to give this job everything I’ve got, I promise you that,” said Doerkson. “And I also promise you that I won’t get it all perfect, but when I don’t I’m going to tell you, and then I’ll get back to work.”
Preliminary results as of around 11 p.m. PT showed the Conservatives had won in 55 ridings and were leading in 9 others.
The party needed to win 47 seats to form government.
The B.C. NDP were winning or leading in 27 ridings, giving them Official Opposition status.
The polls closed at 8 p.m., and David Eby said just before 9:30 p.m. that he had called Doerkson to concede the election.
An emotional and deflated Eby said he had resigned as premier and as leader of the B.C. NDP.
He wished Doerkson well as the Conservatives prepared to take office.
“This is a critical time for our province and for our country, and I hope…that he protects British Columbians, looks after us and looks after the province,” he said.
Eby was able to keep his riding of Vancouver-Point Grey, but he noted several of his fellow NDP MLAs had lost their seats.
“It breaks by heart, and I accept full responsibility for that outcome,” said Eby.
The B.C. Greens held on to two seats to maintain their official party status in the legislature.
Green Leader Emily Lowan was elected to the legislature for the first time, winning Saanich North and the Islands.
Lowan said her party would hold the incoming Conservative government accountable.
“Over the next four years, our job is to be a voice for the many people who will be harmed by their policies, and that is going to require some serious movement-building,” said Lowan.
Two other party leaders lost their seats. OneBC’s Dallas Brodie was defeated in Vancouver-Quilchena and CentreBC’s Elenore Sturko lost in Surrey South. Both were elected as Conservatives in 2024, and lost to Conservative candidates in their ridings.
The result marked a dramatic turnaround for the B.C. Conservatives.
The party received less than two per cent of the popular vote in the 2020 provincial election before winning 44 seats in 2024 and forming the official Opposition.
Just a month ago, the party was in disarray. Sixteen MLAs had quit the caucus or been kicked out since the 2024 election. Over a dozen of them had quit since August over frustrations with then-leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
Findlay resigned just days before the snap election was called, and Doerkson was appointed interim leader.
The party said it would take steps to make Doerkson its permanent leader if the Conservatives won the election.
The Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA was relatively unknown in B.C. politics until taking over the leadership.
“I’m a guy from Williams Lake,” said Deorkson in his victory speech.
Doerkson was born in New Westminster and grew up Surrey before moving to northern B.C.
In his victory speech, he said he got an education during his two decades as a publisher for Black Press, as well as his time as a rodeo competitor.
“I have watched a lot of people get thrown at a rodeo, and I’ll say I’ve been thrown a few times myself. What I have learned from that is that the bruises, is that you pick yourself, you dust yourself off, and you get back on. And the crowd gets to its feet for you because you’re trying,” said Doerkson.
The Conservative’s platform pledged to “cut red tape” and expand B.C.’s energy sector, including tripling liquified natural gas exports by 2035.
The party has also pledged to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, a proposal that has drawn vocal opposition from First Nations leaders.
Other key campaign promises including an income tax cut, replacing ICBC’s no-fault auto insurance system, and ending safe supply programs that provide people with alternatives to toxic street drugs.
