Eby resigns and reflects; Doerkson promises to get B.C. back on track

Outgoing Premier David Eby (left) and Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson (right)

October 25 2026 - Last night’s snap election produced a clear and stunning result almost as soon as polls closed at 8 p.m. In their addresses afterward, the two leaders struck sharply different tones: David Eby resigned as NDP leader and reflected on the outcome and his government’s record, while Lorne Doerkson celebrated the victory and promised to get British Columbia back on track.

David Eby (concession and resignation)

Outgoing Premier David Eby spoke to a subdued room of NDP supporters, beginning with thanks to Elections BC workers, his campaign team, volunteers, candidates, and the voters of Vancouver-Point Grey for re-electing him.

He said he had called Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson to congratulate him on the majority and wished him well, noting it was a critical time for the province and hoping the new government would protect British Columbians.

Eby acknowledged the result was not what his party wanted. Several hard-working MLAs had lost, and he said the defeat “breaks my heart” while accepting full responsibility for the outcome.

Reflecting on the drive to the event with his family, he listed accomplishments from the past nine years visible in a short stretch of Vancouver: the Broadway Subway under construction, the large Sen̓áḵw rental housing project, one of 250 new schools, the planned new St. Paul’s Hospital, a million more British Columbians with a family doctor, and the move from the lowest to the highest minimum wage in the country.

He said similar work had been done across the province and that people should be proud of it.

Eby described serving as premier and MLA as the honour of his life and thanked his team, staff, volunteers, and the party, calling them the best and saying he was forever in their debt.

Eby then announced he would resign as premier and, more importantly, as BC NDP leader, saying it was time for new leadership, though he did so with a heavy heart.

He noted the personal cost to his family over 15 years in politics and said he looked forward to spending time with his wife, kids, and friends without worrying about being videotaped singing karaoke.

He closed by thanking everyone and saying “Let’s go home.”

Lorne Doerkson (victory)

Conservative Leader and premier-designate Lorne Doerkson addressed a large, cheering crowd at the Rocky Mountaineer Station in Vancouver, opening with “B.C. is definitely blue” and thanking supporters in the room and watching at home.

Doerkson said the party had seized the opportunity, voters had chosen a better British Columbia, and he would do everything in his power to get the province back on track.

He thanked volunteers who had knocked on doors, candidates, and all voters, including those who supported other parties. Doerkson introduced his family and specifically thanked his Cariboo-Chilcotin campaign team.

He recognized David Eby for his years of service and the personal toll of public life, and congratulated BC Green Leader Emily Lowan on her campaign and for inspiring young people.

Drawing on his background as a newspaper publisher in Williams Lake, a rodeo participant, and someone who had helped neighbours through fires and floods, he described his approach to leadership as showing up, telling the truth, keeping promises, and getting back to work when things go wrong.

He said many British Columbians had felt forgotten by Victoria, “like the map maybe stopped at Hope”, but “tonight the whole map counts.”

He spoke of the trailblazing spirit of the province, from First Nations to those who came seeking gold, and said the best days were still ahead.

He outlined plans to “supercharge” the economy across the entire province, from Kitimat and Fort St. John to the Okanagan, Vancouver Island, the Kootenays, Surrey, and Vancouver, emphasizing that mills, mines, ports, and cities form one interconnected economy.

Doerkson promised to bring investment back (including a business summit in Vancouver), cut red tape “like it’s never been cut before,” double natural gas production by 2032 and triple it by 2035, speed up permits and exploration, protect private property rights, deliver a $1,000 tax cut with no new taxes, maintain fully publicly funded health care with better access to doctors and open rural ERs, improve public safety, and keep young people and businesses in the province.

He closed by saying it would be the honour of his lifetime to serve as premier, that he would not get everything perfect but would admit it and get back to work, and that the government would begin unlocking the province’s possibilities.

He ended with “Thank you and God bless.”

Eby resigns and reflects; Doerkson promises to get B.C. back on track