Why People Support Lorne Doerkson in the 2026 BC Snap Election

Oct. 6, 2026 — Lorne Doerkson became interim leader of the BC Conservatives after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned on Sept. 20, 2026, just two days before Premier David Eby called a snap election for Oct. 24. Polls have shown the Conservatives competitive or ahead. So why are some British Columbians planning to vote for him? Public posts on Reddit, X and YouTube give a clear answer, and it is mostly about Eby.

BC election 2026: key dates

• Election day: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
• Advance voting: Oct. 16–21
• Called: Sept. 22, 2026, about two years early

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1. "Anyone but Eby"

By far the loudest pro-Conservative reason is wanting the NDP out. Many supporters barely mention Doerkson, and instead cite:

• The provincial deficit and debt.
• The NDP's Oct. 4 proposal to raise rates on incomes above about $190,000, which several commenters said pushed them to switch.
• Anger at the snap election.
• Drug policy, crime and public disorder.
• The Conservatives' pledge of "no new taxes," which Doerkson repeated on the campaign trail.

Some say they usually don't vote Conservative but are willing to "give them a shot." A few say they don't even know their local candidate and will vote Conservative regardless.

2. Doerkson as the "normal, steady" alternative

After the turmoil that ended Findlay's leadership, supporters and some fence-sitters describe Doerkson as calm, moderate and premier-like. Commenters said they were surprised at how quickly he looked like a credible leader, and some described him as a decent person who "only needs to look stable." Others are more cautious, saying a "wolf in sheep's clothing" is preferable to the current government. Doerkson is a former rodeo rider and the Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA.

3. Fiscal restraint, resources and property rights

Supporters point to the party's pledge of no new taxes, its stated aim of balancing the budget through deregulation and productivity rather than cuts (critics note no costed plan has been released), its support for resource industries including energy, and its call to repeal the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), which the party has said it would do in cooperation with First Nations. Some commenters frame the choice simply as "if you're anti private property, vote NDP."

4. ICBC and no-fault insurance

A smaller group argues that changing ICBC's no-fault system would help crash victims, and some commenters back opening ICBC to competition. Doerkson has said there have been "challenges with no-fault insurance" but that an insurance policy would come later, so the party's position was still unsettled at the time of writing. An earlier Conservative platform in 2024 proposed ending ICBC's monopoly.

5. "The interim-leader arguments don't matter"

Opponents have questioned whether an interim leader can stay on. Supporters answer that if the Conservatives win, Doerkson would be premier as long as he has the confidence of the legislature, whether or not he is party leader. The party's constitution says an interim leader can't run for the permanent job, and its board has said it will pursue an amendment to keep him on, which would need a two-thirds vote of members at a general meeting.

Who the supporters appear to be

• Anti-Eby switchers, including higher earners hit by the proposed tax bracket.
• Centrists who disliked the Findlay-era culture-war brand but find Doerkson palatable.
• Interior and small-city voters, and resource-sector supporters.
• True-right voters who may prefer OneBC but will vote Conservative where OneBC has no candidate.

Caveats

• Much of the support is anti-NDP, not pro-Doerkson. Direct praise for him by name is thinner than for the party.
• He is new and relatively unknown. Many voters are judging the party, not the man. In an Angus Reid poll, about half of British Columbians said they were concerned the Conservatives are not ready to govern.
• Split on the right. Some Conservatives and OneBC voters call him too much of a "rebadged Liberal."
• The Human Rights Code vote. Defenders note that Doerkson's yes vote on a 2026 bill to repeal B.C.'s Human Rights Code was at first reading, a procedural step, and that he says it did not mean he supports the bill. Critics disagree; see why people don't support him.
• Reddit under-represents these voters. YouTube and X carry more raw Conservative enthusiasm.

How we gathered this

This is a qualitative read of public posts, not a poll. Choseno reviewed public comments on Reddit (r/britishcolumbia, r/vancouver, r/BCpolitics, r/VictoriaBC and others), X and YouTube from late September to Oct. 6, 2026, and grouped the recurring arguments. Online commenters skew louder and more partisan than the average voter, and Reddit leans younger and more urban.

Where a claim is a checkable fact (a date, a vote, a tax rate, a budget figure), Choseno checked it against news reports and official sources, which are linked in the sources list. Claims we could not confirm were left out. Opinions are attributed to commenters, not presented as fact.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Lorne Doerkson?

Lorne Doerkson is the MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin and the interim leader of the BC Conservatives after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned on Sept. 20, 2026.

Why do people support Lorne Doerkson?

Mostly to remove David Eby and the NDP over the deficit, taxes and public safety. Others like his calm, steady image and the party's focus on fiscal restraint and resources.

Could Lorne Doerkson become premier?

If the Conservatives win the most seats and have the confidence of the legislature, he would be premier. As interim leader he can't run for permanent leader under the party constitution, which the board says it will amend; see our explainer.

When is the BC election?

Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026. Advance voting runs Oct. 16–21.

Have your say

Vote in the polls above, then rate and review Lorne Doerkson on his Choseno wall and see where your neighbors stand.

More BC election 2026 coverage

• BC snap election 2026: why an informed vote matters
• BC election 2026: where each party stands
• Why people support David Eby
• Why people don't support David Eby
• Why people support Lorne Doerkson
• Why people don't support Lorne Doerkson

Sources

• Choseno — BC election 2026: where each party stands
• Elections BC
• CTV News: What's next in B.C. politics after the Conservative leader's resignation
• Global News: Angus Reid poll after the snap election call
• Global News: Conservatives promise no new taxes
• CP24: Former candidate asks B.C. Conservatives to plug noses
• Global News: B.C. Conservatives promise to end ICBC monopoly (2024)
• Daily Hive: Eby's NDP proposes higher taxes on top incomes