Candidates Confirmed Across Five Regional Ridings

Nomination papers have been officially submitted by individuals seeking election as local Members of the Legislative Assembly in the upcoming 2026 BC election.

In Kamloops Centre, voters will see a five-candidate field consisting of incumbent Peter Milobar for the BC Conservatives, Annelise Beach representing the BC Greens, Rocky McAfee for OneBC, Thaelo Proctor running as an Independent, and Mike Wisla representing the BC NDP.

To the north, the Kamloops-North Thompson constituency features incumbent Ward Stamer of the BC Conservatives, alongside Kory Clark running for the BC NDP and Deborah Friesen for OneBC.

Contests Set for Fraser-Nicola, Cariboo-Chilcotin, and Salmon Arm-Shuswap

In the Fraser-Nicola riding, incumbent Conservative Tony Luck faces challenges from Jason Leboe of the BC NDP and Patrick Mitchell of the BC Greens.

The Cariboo-Chilcotin ballot includes incumbent Lorne Doerkson running for the BC Conservatives, Kathryn Askew representing the BC NDP, and Douglas Gook representing the BC Greens.

Meanwhile, five candidates are contesting the Salmon Arm-Shuswap riding. Incumbent David Williams represents the BC Conservatives, joined on the ballot by Gloria Morgan for the BC NDP, Barbara Presch for OneBC, Denise Reimer for CentreBC, and Jed Wiebe for the BC Greens.

Voters Prioritize Cost of Living Over Tariff Concerns

As British Columbians prepare to cast their ballots on Oct. 24, recent survey data reveals that economic pressures are dominating voter concerns. In an Angus Reid Institute poll, 57 per cent of respondents identified the cost of living as a primary issue, while 42 per cent cited healthcare. Other concerns including drug addiction and homelessness also recorded slight increases among survey participants. Conversely, concern over U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs has decreased, with 10 per cent of respondents naming it a top issue compared to 15 per cent previously.

Polling Numbers Show Shift in Provincial Race

The reduced focus on tariffs comes after NDP Leader David Eby initiated a snap election to secure a mandate to address U.S. trade policies, despite having two years remaining in his term. A Mainstreet Research telephone survey found that 46 per cent of residents strongly disapprove of the early election call. That survey, conducted Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 among 827 residents with a margin of error of 3.4 per cent, showed Conservative support at 45 per cent, giving them an eight-point margin over the NDP.

An online survey by Angus Reid conducted Oct. 1 to 3 with 1,000 participants indicates Conservative support at 48 per cent—an increase of five percentage points—and NDP support at 43 per cent, reflecting a margin of error of three percentage points. While the NDP gained seven points since the previous Angus Reid poll, smaller parties lost ground, with the B.C. Greens receiving seven per cent support and other parties combining for two per cent.

Regional Breakdown Highlights Divided Support

Polling data indicates significant regional differences across the province. According to Angus Reid, Conservative backing is highest in the Fraser Valley at 62 per cent compared to 28 per cent for the NDP, and reaches 57 per cent in the Interior, where they hold a 21-point advantage over the NDP. The pattern shifts along the Coast and Vancouver Island, where the NDP leads with 48 per cent support compared to 39 per cent for the Conservatives.

Viral exposure sparks worldwide donations

An online post by American influencer Mandi Jung highlighting a Kelowna municipal campaign sign has triggered global attention and financial contributions. Jung shared an image of one of Brady Rogers’s 35 lawn signs with her 100,000 followers on X, calling it “the most millennial thing I have seen in my entire life.” The post garnered 147,000 likes, while an associated video reel amassed roughly 1.5 million views, driving unexpected international interest toward the local race.

“This last week especially has been pretty wild,” Rogers said. “It’s been very unexpected. Locally I’ve been getting attention, but then somebody in the states I guess found me and made a reel about my campaign and it’s I think had one and a half million views or something.”

Humour as a voter engagement strategy

The 33-year-old candidate, who operates a business 3D-printing household items from recycled plastic, turned to social media to launch his campaign. “I decided I wanted some signs and had some funny ideas, so I put it out on Instagram to raise some money and set up a campaign,” Rogers said.

His physical campaign signs state, “Brady Rogers for city council. Don’t worry, I’ll fix everything. Terms and conditions apply.” Readers scanning a QR code on the signs are directed to a website where Rogers openly states that he lacks qualification, lacks political expertise, and dislikes politics, before concluding, “Fine, I’ll do it.” Rogers explained that his lighthearted approach aims to capture public focus and motivate residents to participate in voting.

Policy proposals and local platform

Beyond the viral marketing, Rogers is focusing on city governance and community challenges. “Our city has a lot of good initiatives and good work being done on it. But I’m looking at how we can better integrate some of those initiatives and perhaps provide more unified leadership on it,” he stated.

His platform addresses specific business and resident concerns, particularly regarding street-level drug use. “There’s more the city can be doing to address the immediate concerns that businesses and residents have around things like open drug use. I’ve been looking into the idea of perhaps testing a zero-tolerance policy in Kelowna around open drug use. It’s not going to stop people from doing drugs, but I think it would mean a lot to businesses if we could at least push the drug use off the streets,” Rogers said.