Former B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad not seeking re-election
Published 6:36 pm Wednesday, September 23, 2026
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Former B.C. Conservative leader John Rustad, who led the party to secure a record number of seats in 2024, will not be seeking re-election in next month.
The Conservative Party of B.C. said it extends its “deepest thanks” to Rustad, who has decided not to seek re-election.
“Under his leadership, our party grew from less than two percent of the vote to Official Opposition. The Conservative Party of BC would never have reached where it is today without his conviction, hard work and willingness to stand up when few others would,” reads an email from the party on Wednesday evening.
“We wish him and his family all the very best in the years ahead.”
The email also said that the party has approved every sitting MLA to run for re-election on Oct. 24.
Rustad had only recently re-joined the B.C. Conservatives after being ousted by ex-party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.
Rustad moved to the B.C. Conservatives in February 2023 after being ousted from the B.C. Liberals – which afterward became B.C. United – but the party only regained official party status once Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman defected from United to join the Conservatives.
The party was officially recognized in the legislature in September 2023.
Then two months before the 2024 provincial election, United and the Conservatives joined forces to go against the B.C. NDP. It allowed former United MLAs to run under the B.C. Conservative banner.
The Conservative Party secured 44 seats to the NDP’s 47 seats in the Oct. 19, 2024 provincial election.
It went relatively smooth until March 2025 when Rustad ousted Vancouver-Quilchena MLA Dallas Brodie from caucus. Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy and Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream MLA Tara Armstrong quit caucus in support.
Then in September 2025, Rustad kicked Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Elenore Sturko out of caucus. Penticton-Summerland MLA Amelia Boultbee quit the following month as a result.
By the end of the year 20 MLAs called for Rustad to step down as leader.
In December 2025, Conservatives had removed Rustad as leader of the party. Rustad, however, refused to step down as leader.
He officially resigned as leader the following day.