B.C. United MLAs Shirley Bond, Todd Stone drop election campaigns
CBC
Two high-profile B.C. United MLAs have withdrawn from the upcoming provincial election following a decision from their party leader to throw his support behind John Rustad's B.C. Conservatives.
Both Shirley Bond and Todd Stone, who have served as cabinet ministers in what was then the B.C. Liberal party, say they will not be running in the next election. Meanwhile, Peace River-South MLA Mike Bernier says he may run as an independent.
B.C. United Leader Kevin Falcon's decision to pull his party from the upcoming campaign, which he announced on Wednesday, has given voters in the province a clear left-versus-right choice — but it's also left almost two dozen incumbent party MLAs pondering their futures.
The suspension of the Opposition's election campaign, consolidating its pool of potential candidates with the B.C. Conservatives, means dozens between both camps will lose party endorsement in their ridings.
There are 93 ridings being contested in the 2024 B.C. election. The B.C. Conservatives have put forth 83 candidates, and B.C. United had announced 57. There are five sitting B.C. Conservative MLAs, whereas B.C. United has 23 sitting MLAs.
Falcon and Rustad say the two parties will jointly work out a process to field the best candidates for the Oct. 19 election, but the details have yet to be arranged.
Among those who have decided to step away are Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond, who announced her decision to withdraw her candidacy Thursday.
The decision signals the end of a more than two-decade career in B.C. legislature, which started in 2001 and includes time served as the party's interim leader before Falcon took the reins.
The campaign suspension was a "complete surprise," Bond said in a press release.
"I have spent the past 24 hours with my family thinking about what my next steps should be. Together, we have decided that I will be withdrawing my name as a candidate in the upcoming provincial election," she wrote.
Bond said she will speak to media in-person on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
B.C. United MLA Todd Stone also announced Thursday he would not be seeking re-election in his Kamloops riding, and will be supporting Ward Stamer, the B.C. Conservatives candidate for Kamloops-North Thompson.
In a news conference Thursday, Stone said he made the decision earlier this week in order to support the coalition. Stone says he let Falcon know his intentions on Tuesday.
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