David Eby's NDP won the slimmest possible majority on October 19, 2024 — 47 of 93 seats — in an election that came down to recounts and mail-in ballots stretching weeks past election night. John Rustad's BC Conservatives, a party that had not won a general election seat since 1975, won 44 seats in a result that reshaped the province's political landscape. The writs were issued on September 21 for a 28-day campaign across 93 ridings — six more than the previous election following a redistribution. Turnout was 58.5% of registered voters, with a record 2.1 million ballots cast.

The election marked the culmination of a dramatic realignment on the centre-right. The BC Liberals — rebranded as BC United under leader Kevin Falcon — had collapsed over the preceding year as MLAs defected and polls cratered. On August 28, less than two months before election day, Falcon suspended BC United's campaign entirely, urged all 56 nominated candidates to withdraw, and endorsed the Conservatives, effectively ending a party that had governed BC for 16 years and claimed eight former premiers.

Results

The NDP won 47 seats with 44.6% of the popular vote. The Conservatives won 44 seats with 43.5%. The Greens won 2 seats with 8.3%. Several ridings required recounts before the NDP majority was confirmed. The pivotal seat was Surrey-Guildford, where NDP candidate Garry Begg led by just 27 votes after the final count, triggering a judicial recount. BC Supreme Court Justice Kevin Loo confirmed Begg's victory by 22 votes — securing the NDP's 47th seat and its majority.

Juan de Fuca-Malahat was another razor-thin contest. NDP candidate Dana Lajeunesse led by just 23 votes on election night; after mail-in ballots and a recount, the margin settled at 141 votes. A judicial recount in Kelowna Centre confirmed the Conservative candidate's win by 40 votes.

Party Leaders

David Eby (NDP) — Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Eby studied English at the University of Waterloo and law at Dalhousie's Schulich School of Law. He worked on Vancouver's Downtown Eastside defending low-income residents and served as executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association before entering politics. First elected in Vancouver-Point Grey in 2013 — defeating then-premier Christy Clark in her own riding — he served as Attorney General and then Housing Minister under John Horgan. When Horgan resigned in June 2022 citing health concerns, Eby was acclaimed NDP leader on October 21, 2022, after his sole challenger was disqualified, and was sworn in as the 37th premier on November 18, 2022.

John Rustad (BC Conservative) — Raised in Prince George in a family with roots in the logging and timber industry, Rustad was first elected to the legislature in 2005 as a BC Liberal MLA. He served as Minister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation under Christy Clark from 2013 to 2017. On August 18, 2022, Kevin Falcon expelled Rustad from the BC Liberal caucus after he reposted social media content questioning the link between carbon dioxide emissions and climate change. Rustad joined the moribund BC Conservative Party in February 2023, giving it its first sitting MLA, and was acclaimed leader on March 31, 2023. He led the party from zero seats to 44 — its best result in over 70 years and its first general election seats since 1975.

Sonia Furstenau (BC Green) — Furstenau gambled on leaving her Cowichan Valley seat to run in the NDP stronghold of Victoria-Beacon Hill, losing decisively to NDP incumbent Grace Lore. Despite the leader's defeat, the Greens elected Rob Botterell in Saanich North and the Islands and Jeremy Valeriote in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky. Furstenau initially stayed on as leader but announced her resignation in January 2025.

Campaign Issues

Housing and affordability remained the defining issue. The NDP government had introduced limits on short-term rentals, a $500-million fund for non-profits to purchase rental properties, and legislation requiring municipalities to allow multi-unit housing on previously single-family lots. The Conservatives criticized the measures as insufficient.

Healthcare — particularly family doctor shortages, emergency room closures, and long wait times — was a top concern for voters across the province. All three parties acknowledged the severity of the staffing crisis.

Drug policy and public safety were closely linked flashpoints. BC had become the first Canadian jurisdiction to decriminalize possession of small amounts of illicit drugs on January 31, 2023. The policy proved deeply controversial, and in May 2024 the NDP government partially reversed course, making public consumption illegal again. The Conservatives made crime and disorder a centrepiece of their campaign, linking public safety concerns to the decriminalization experiment.

The Conservative surge itself was a campaign story. The party's rise from fringe status to contender — fuelled by BC United's collapse, floor crossings, and voter frustration — forced the NDP to campaign on two fronts: defending its record while adapting to an entirely new opponent.

Notable Outcomes

The election was historic on several fronts. It was the first BC general election — and the first in any Canadian province — to elect more women than men: 49 of 93 MLAs (52.7%) were women. It was also the first time since 1975 that the BC Conservative Party won legislative seats, and the first time the Liberal/United party did not contest a provincial election since 1900.

The BC United dissolution on August 28 was unprecedented in Canadian politics — a governing party of 16 years effectively ceased to exist less than two months before an election. Nine former BC United MLAs ran as Conservatives; five were elected. The Conservative breakthrough was concentrated in the Interior, Fraser Valley, and suburban Surrey, while the NDP held Metro Vancouver, the Island, and northern BC.