Voting opens in B.C. Conservative leadership race, winner to be announced May 30

VICTORIA — Voting starts today for members of the B.C. Conservative Party to pick their new leader.

Five candidates are running for leadership of B.C.’s official Opposition, taking over for interim leader Trevor Halford who has been in place since December when John Rustad resigned.

Iain Black, Caroline Elliott, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Peter Milobar and Yuri Fulmer are all on the ballot, with a winner slated to be announced at the leadership convention on May 30.

Voters will use a preferential ballot starting at 8 a.m. where they are asked to rank the candidates in order of preference and voting closes May 29.

The party said in April that its membership roll had increased from 7,000 in December to 42,000 by the April 18 deadline to sign up new members in time to vote.

The race has included multiple public debates and has been largely dominated by disputes over ideology and what it means to be a conservative.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2026

The Canadian Press