Three Abbotsford Conservative Candidates Pull Out of October 19 Debate
Bruce Banman, Korky Neufeld, and Darryl Kropp withdrew from a provincial candidates debate scheduled for October 19 at the University of the Fraser Valley, citing a scheduling conflict. Abbotsford News reported the cancellation on October 15, 2026.
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Three Conservative Party of BC candidates in Abbotsford withdrew from an all-candidates debate scheduled for October 19 at the University of the Fraser Valley, and organizers cancelled the event, Abbotsford News reported on October 15, 2026.
Bruce Banman (Abbotsford South), Korky Neufeld (Abbotsford West), and Darryl Kropp (Abbotsford-Mission) had all confirmed their attendance when the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and UFV Student Union Society announced the event on October 13. On October 15, the organizers announced the cancellation, citing the three Conservative withdrawals.
The candidates told organizers the reason was a scheduling conflict. Abbotsford News reached out to all three but received no response by publication time.
The debate was set to cover candidates from three Abbotsford ridings: Abbotsford South, Abbotsford West, and Abbotsford-Mission. The Abbotsford News article does not say whether candidates from BC NDP or other parties had confirmed their attendance, nor whether a replacement event was being planned.
Background on the three candidates
Banman participated in debates in 2024 and won Abbotsford South with 59 percent of the vote. Neufeld did not participate in debates in 2024 and still won Abbotsford West with 58 percent. Kropp is new to provincial politics; he was announced as the Abbotsford-Mission candidate on September 26 after Kerry-Lynne Findlay left the party on September 20. Findlay had herself replaced 2024 winner Reann Gasper, who gave up her seat to allow Findlay to run in a by-election that was cancelled when the election writ dropped on September 22. Gasper also did not participate in debates in 2024.
The cancellation affects only the October 19 debate. The provincial election proceeds in all 93 ridings on October 24, 2026. Advance voting in Abbotsford South, Abbotsford West, and Abbotsford-Mission runs October 16 to 21 at Elections BC locations. Voters in these ridings can find candidate and district information at /bc/provincial-2026.
Questions this story answers
Which Conservative candidates withdrew from the Abbotsford debate?
The three Conservative Party of BC candidates who withdrew are Bruce Banman (Abbotsford South), Korky Neufeld (Abbotsford West), and Darryl Kropp (Abbotsford-Mission). All three had confirmed their participation when the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and UFV Student Union Society announced the event on October 13. The Chamber announced the cancellation on October 15 after receiving their withdrawals. Abbotsford News reached out to all three candidates but had not received a response by publication time.
Why did the Conservative candidates withdraw?
The candidates told organizers the reason was a scheduling conflict. Abbotsford News reached out to all three candidates for further comment and had not received a response at the time of publication. The article carries no other explanation from the Conservative Party or from the candidates.
Who organized the debate and what happened to it?
The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce and UFV Student Union Society organized the event, which was to cover candidates from Abbotsford South, Abbotsford West, and Abbotsford-Mission. It was scheduled for Monday, October 19 at the University of the Fraser Valley. After the three Conservative candidates withdrew, the organizers cancelled the debate.
Who are Bruce Banman, Korky Neufeld, and Darryl Kropp?
Bruce Banman is the Conservative candidate in Abbotsford South; he participated in debates ahead of the 2024 election and won with 59 percent of the vote. Korky Neufeld is the Conservative candidate in Abbotsford West; he did not participate in candidates debates in 2024 and won with 58 percent. Darryl Kropp is a new candidate in Abbotsford-Mission, announced September 26. He stepped in after Kerry-Lynne Findlay left the party on September 20.
Are there other all-candidates events in Abbotsford before October 24?
The Abbotsford News article does not name other scheduled debates in Abbotsford. Voters in Abbotsford ridings can check their district pages on this site at /bc/provincial-2026 for candidate information. Advance voting runs October 16 to 21. General voting day is October 24, 2026.
Did NDP candidates in Abbotsford remain willing to attend?
The Abbotsford News article states the event was set to feature candidates from both the BC NDP and the Conservative Party of BC. The article says the event was cancelled because of the Conservative withdrawals. It does not state whether NDP candidates had confirmed or withdrawn.
Will the October 24 election go ahead in Abbotsford?
Yes. The cancellation affects only the October 19 debate event. The provincial election proceeds on October 24 in all 93 ridings, including Abbotsford South, Abbotsford West, and Abbotsford-Mission. Advance voting for those ridings runs October 16 to 21 at Elections BC locations.
Where can I find candidate pages for the Abbotsford ridings?
Candidate and district pages for Abbotsford South, Abbotsford West, and Abbotsford-Mission are on this site at /bc/provincial-2026. Each district page lists all registered candidates and links to their individual profiles.
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