B.C. Conservatives win majority government for first time since 1928

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

British Columbia's Conservative Party won a majority government on Oct. 24, its first since 1928. Under interim leader Lorne Doerkson, it took 64 of the 93 seats in the provincial legislature, toppling Premier David Eby's New Democrats.

The result ends nine years of NDP government and pushes Eby out as party leader. He called the election nearly two years early, betting that a Conservative party in open revolt would let him expand a one-seat majority. Instead, the election threat forced the opposition to reunite, and voters punished the early vote as opportunism.

Why it matters

A Conservative majority in B.C. plans to repeal Indigenous-rights legislation and triple liquefied natural gas production, reversing nine years of NDP policy.

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Key Indicators

Conservative seats in the 93-seat legislature

A majority requires 47 seats; CBC projected 64-27 on election night.

Seats needed for a majority

The threshold the Conservatives cleared by a wide margin.

NDP seats

Down from 47 seats won in the 2024 election.

47.9%

Conservative share of the popular vote

With about 89% of ballot boxes reported, the NDP trailed at 37.5%.

1928

Last year a Conservative majority governed B.C.

Right-leaning parties since then governed under Liberal or Social Credit banners.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

Ever wondered what historical figures would say about today's headlines?

People Involved

Lorne Doerkson

Interim leader, B.C. Conservative Party; premier-designate

Won a majority government; set to become premier

David Eby

Premier of British Columbia and NDP leader (until Oct. 24, 2026)

Resigned as NDP leader after the election loss

Kerry-Lynne Findlay

Former leader, B.C. Conservative Party

Resigned Sept. 20, 2026

Emily Lowan

Leader, B.C. Green Party

Party positioned to keep two seats in the legislature

Organizations Involved

B.C. Conservative Party

Provincial political party

Won a majority government in the Oct. 24, 2026 election

The right-leaning provincial party that swept to a majority on a platform of tax cuts, LNG expansion, and repealing Indigenous-rights legislation.

B.C. New Democratic Party (NDP)

Provincial political party

Lost power; forms official opposition with 27 seats

The social-democratic party that governed B.C. for nine years before the 2026 defeat.

B.C. Green Party

Provincial political party

Held two seats in the legislature

The third party in the legislature, holding two seats after the 2026 vote.

Timeline

2020 October 2026

7 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2026
Conservatives win a majority; Eby resigns
Latest Election

The party's first majority since 1928. Eby concedes and quits as NDP leader.
Yesterday
September 2026
Eby calls a snap election
Election

The premier triggers a vote nearly two years early, hoping to expand his majority.
September 22nd, 2026
Doerkson named interim leader
Leadership

The party installs the low-profile MLA as interim leader the day after Findlay's exit.
September 21st, 2026
Findlay resigns as Conservative leader
Leadership

After months of scandals, Findlay steps down the Sunday before the election call.
September 20th, 2026
2026
Findlay's leadership unravels
Leadership

Kerry-Lynne Findlay leads the party for 113 days; 13 MLAs leave or are expelled.
2026
October 2024
NDP wins a narrow majority
Election

The NDP takes 47 seats, the Conservatives 44, the Greens 2 — a one-seat government.
October 2024
2020
Doerkson enters the legislature
Election

Lorne Doerkson first elected for the riding of Cariboo—Chilcotin.
2020

Scenarios

Doerkson stays on as permanent leader and premier

Likely Resolves by Q3 2027

Discussed by: CBC News and The Narwhal

Party rules bar an interim leader from standing for the permanent job. The Conservative board has promised to change the rules if he won, and a two-thirds vote of members at a general meeting would do it. If members refuse, Doerkson remains premier but triggers a leadership race.

NDP picks a new leader to rebuild

Likely Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: CBC News and The Canadian Press

Eby's resignation leaves the NDP to choose a successor from its caucus of 27. No front-runner has emerged and the party has set no date for a leadership vote. The new leader will lead the opposition toward the next scheduled election.

Doerkson government repeals DRIPA and expands LNG

Likely Resolves by Q1 2028

Discussed by: CBC News, The Narwhal, Reuters

With 64 seats, the government can pass its platform: repealing the province's Indigenous-rights act, ending the SOGI 123 school resource, and tripling liquefied natural gas output by 2035. Friction between the party's social-conservative and fiscal-conservative wings could slow parts of the agenda or force compromise.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1928

B.C.'s last Conservative majority (1928)

In 1928, B.C. voters elected a Conservative majority government — the last time a party under the Conservative banner held power in Victoria until 2026. For the next nine decades, right-leaning governments governed under Liberal or Social Credit names instead.

Then

The Conservative government lost power at the next election, beginning a near-century gap in Conservative rule.

Now

No party running as Conservative formed a B.C. government from 1928 until the 2026 win.

Why this matters now

Sets the scale of Saturday's result: it has been 98 years since Conservative was the governing party in British Columbia.

April–June 2017

Theresa May's snap election backfire (2017)

UK Prime Minister Theresa May called a snap election three years early, seeking a larger Conservative majority to strengthen her Brexit hand. Voters instead stripped her party of its outright majority.

Then

May had to form a minority government with external support and resigned as party leader two years later.

Now

The episode became a standard case study in the risks of early elections called for strategic advantage.

Why this matters now

Eby's defeat follows the same pattern: a leader calling an early vote for a bigger majority, punished by voters who read the move as opportunism.