BC Voters Reject NDP as Conservatives Secure a Historic Majority After Snap Election
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Premier David Eby’s snap election ended with a Conservative majority government, ending nine years of NDP rule in British Columbia after voters turned against the governing party.
Premier David Eby announced a provincial election on September 18, 2024, after a rally in Victoria that featured patriotic themes and a performance by a local rapper. The decision, made by Eby and two senior advisers, drew concern within the NDP caucus, with several former members warning that calling an election so early could backfire politically and expose weakness inside the government.
"It was thought that you should wait, that it was intemperate to move forward," former NDP MLA Garry Begg said, referring to the internal debates about timing.
"I don’t personally believe that it’s a good idea to have a snap election. Period. I think if you’re trying to take political advantage, I think people see that and react to that in a negative way," former NDP MLA Rick Glumac added.
Despite the NDP’s doubts, the election moved ahead and the fragmented Conservative party, led by an interim leader, won the province’s largest majority government in 25 years. Conservative strategists said they were confident of victory by mid-October, while many NDP members feared defeat from the start of the campaign.
The Union of B.C. Municipalities had even passed a resolution urging the province to postpone the election until after the municipal campaign, but the motion did not change the timeline. The election outcome marked the end of a nine-year NDP administration in British Columbia, as voters delivered a clear rebuke to a government many had grown tired of.