Several parties have named candidates for British Columbia’s Oct. 24 snap election, including NDP contenders in Surrey-Panorama and Saanich South and party nominees in the Green and CentreBC slates.
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Parties have begun finalizing candidate lists for British Columbia’s snap provincial election on Oct. 24, with nominations announced in multiple ridings across Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island. The disclosures show how the NDP, Greens, and emerging or reorganized parties are putting forward candidates as the campaign period begins.
On the NDP side, four cabinet ministers said they would seek re-election: Mike Farnworth, Adrian Dix, Bowinn Ma and Josie Osborne. The party also named Jinny Sims as its candidate in Surrey-Panorama, describing her as a former member of Parliament and provincial cabinet minister.
In Saanich South, the NDP announced Richard Zussman as its candidate. The party characterized him as a legislative journalist turned communications executive, positioning him as the challenger in a Green-held riding where the candidate list has been closely watched as the election approaches.
The NDP candidate announcements also include the broader shift in leadership and party renewal that has accompanied the snap election call. The timing matters for party preparations, particularly as candidates line up in ridings where incumbents have confirmed whether they will run again.
Other parties have also announced changes to their slates. CentreBC leader Elenore Sturko named former B.C. Green leader Andrew Weaver as the party’s candidate in Oak Bay-Gordon Head.
Green Party leader Emily Lowan said she plans to run in Saanich North and the Islands, indicating the Greens will contest that riding under her leadership. The Greens also filled an opening created by the decision of another party member not to seek re-election.
Among those stepping away from the election contest are former Conservative leader John Rustad, who will not run in Nechako Lakes, the seat he has represented since 2005. The Conservative party said in a statement that it had grown under Rustad’s leadership from under two per cent of the vote to becoming the official Opposition, and it said its election readiness committee approved every sitting member of the caucus to run, while noting Rustad himself is not among them.
The Conservatives also indicated that Linda Hepner is not seeking re-election in Surrey-Serpentine River, leaving open questions about who will be nominated in that riding for the party. Other high-profile NDP departures were also disclosed as part of candidate confirmations, including former finance minister Brenda Bailey, who is stepping away from the election campaign.
In the Greens, Rob Botterell said he will not run again in Saanich North and the Islands, where Lowan will be the party’s nominee. Botterell had been part of a Green caucus of two alongside Jeremy Valeriote since 2024, and Lowan’s candidacy marks a change in who will represent the party in that constituency.
Taken together, the candidate announcements suggest parties are making rapid adjustments to their slates as the Oct. 24 voting date approaches. For voters, the named candidates clarify who is contesting key Metro Vancouver and Vancouver Island ridings and highlight how leadership changes within parties are reshaping the contest.
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