Kerry-Lynne Findlay has won the B.C. Conservative leadership race, but political observers say her biggest challenge may be what comes next.
The former federal Conservative cabinet minister defeated Caroline Elliott on the fourth ballot, securing 51 per cent of the vote to become the party’s new leader.
“I will unify, and take the fight to grassroots British Columbians who have had enough of being pushed around,” Findlay told supporters following her victory.
Findlay takes over from interim leader Trevor Halford and now leads the province’s Official Opposition.
Peace River North MLA Jordan Kealy, who endorsed Findlay in April, said he believes she can connect with voters across the province.
“I think that she’ll resonate in both the rural ridings as well as urban,” the independent MLA said.
Experts say Findlay’s campaign was built around a traditional conservative message, while her experience as a former Conservative MP helped establish her credentials. She was endorsed by six of the party’s 41 MLAs.
However, former B.C. Conservative leader Trevor Bolin says Findlay must now expand her appeal beyond the party’s core supporters if she hopes to form government.
“She really has campaigned hard on being known as the sole conservative in this race,” Bolin said. “That needs to loosen a little bit as she looks at how do you win over Vancouver? How do you win over Vancouver Island? How do you go after NDP ridings that have become known as swings in the last couple elections?”
Bolin said winning the leadership race is very different from winning a provincial election, and that the party will need to attract voters in urban and suburban ridings where the Conservatives have traditionally struggled.
The final ballot also highlighted regional differences in support. While Findlay won more than 70 per cent of the vote in both Peace River ridings, Elliott performed strongly in several Vancouver and South Coast ridings.
Political theory professor David Black says Findlay’s victory confirms a shift in the B.C. Conservatives toward a more populist style of politics that emphasizes “ordinary people” over established institutions and elites.
He says this suggests Findlay’s future strategy will likely build on that populist base, but she will still need to broaden the party’s appeal beyond its core supporters if she wants to compete in urban and suburban ridings.
Black’s analysis echoes former B.C. Conservative leader Trevor Bolin, who has also argued that Findlay must expand the party’s reach beyond its traditional base to have a realistic path to forming government.
Findlay also faces the task of uniting a party that emerged from a competitive leadership contest.
Bolin said Conservatives will need to rally around their new leader and focus on building a platform capable of bringing together voters across the political right.
“We’re hearing from the caucus... they’re still processing Kerry-Lynne’s win,” Bolin said, noting that a majority of MLAs supported other candidates.
Bolin said party members must now put the leadership vote behind them and focus on defeating David Eby’s government, a sentiment echoed by Peace River South MLA Larry Neufeld.
“This is a very important moment for the province, and it’s time for us, as members of the Conservative Party, to set aside any past differences and to push forward with the only thing that matters,” Neufeld said. “The only thing that matters is to defeat the NDP government.”
Kealy said the party’s attention must now turn toward the next election.
“The next big challenge is making sure that we’re ready to beat the NDP,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kealy’s own future within the party remains uncertain.
The MLA is hoping to rejoin the Conservative caucus, and sources tell CJDC News that Findlay is considering putting the matter to a vote.
Kealy and Findlay are expected to meet later this week to discuss the possibility of his return.
The push for party unity follows months of internal upheaval that resulted in several Conservative MLAs either leaving or being removed from caucus.