Chapman, Findlay step away from B.C. politics after ‘threats and abuse’
Published 6:36 pm Tuesday, October 6, 2026
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A total of five candidates are running in the upcoming provincial election to represent the riding of Surrey South – but former Surrey South MLA Brent Chapman won’t be among them after all.
Chapman – who had been listed as the OneBC South Surrey candidate prior to Saturday – is missing from the Elections BC candidate list, as is his wife, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who stepped down as Conservative Party of BC leader on Sept. 20 after several MLAs left, or were asked to leave, the party.
Chapman told Peace Arch News Monday that he is not running because he has “just had enough – that’s all I’ll say about that.”
Chapman was also asked about Findlay’s absence from the polls.
“Why would she be running?” he commented. “What would be the benefit of her running? I think, at some point, you stop.”
OneBC has issued a statement on social media over the weekend, saying the party is in “full support of (Chapman’s) decision to step back at this time and wish(es) him all the best.”
“OneBC was very excited to have Brent join the team, but the strain of the last few months has been enormous,” the statement noted.
It added that Chapman and Findlay’s “strong conservative values” are “not acceptable to the self-appointed leaders of the CPBC” and that they had been “subjected to a torrent of threats and abuse.”
OneBC has not returned Peace Arch News inquiries for further comment.
As of the Saturday (Oct. 3) filing deadline, five candidates are vying for the Surrey South seat.
Denis R. Hurtubise appears as the OneBC candidate for the riding on the party website but is listed as unaffiliated on the Elections BC website. At press time, Peace Arch News was still seeking confirmation of Hurtubise’s affiliation.
The others are CentreBC party leader Elenore Sturko; Conservative Party of BC candidate Megan Knight (just ending her term as White Rock mayor); BC NDP candidate Parik Tahlan; and the BC Green Party’s Bill McConnell.
Knight, who had been running for re-election as mayor until the provincial election was called, was able to withdraw from the municipal race.
In Surrey-White Rock, a total of six candidates have been confirmed.
Incumbent Conservative MLA Trevor Halford is once again being challenged by former White Rock mayor Darryl Walker as the BC NDP candidate, while Christine Kinnie has filed as the candidate for the BC Green Party.
Former Surrey journalist Kevin Diakiw is running as an independent, while Waqas Rana is running for CentreBC, and Amanda James for OneBC.
Advance voting for the provincial election happens Oct. 16 to 21, with final voting day set for Saturday, Oct. 24, just one week after civic elections take place on Saturday, Oct. 17.
– with files from Tricia Leslie