BC NDP caucus meets this week to choose an interim leader after Eby's resignation
The BC NDP caucus is choosing an interim leader this week. Outgoing Health Minister Ravi Kahlon named seven current MLAs and two mayors as possible candidates.
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The BC NDP caucus is meeting this week to choose an interim leader after David Eby resigned on election night, October 24, the Nanaimo News Bulletin reported on October 27.
A caucus spokesperson said in a statement that the party will separately set the timing and process for a full leadership race in the weeks and months ahead.
Who is being considered
Outgoing Health Minister Ravi Kahlon named seven currently elected MLAs as possible candidates for the interim role: Mike Farnworth, who served as Eby's House leader; Josie Osborne, the outgoing Finance minister; Adrian Dix, a former party leader and outgoing Energy minister; Niki Sharma, Eby's attorney general; Ravi Parmar; Spencer Chandra Herbert; and Jennifer Whiteside.
He also mentioned Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West and Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley as possibilities. All seven MLAs served as ministers in Eby's government.
Kahlon chose not to run for re-election and said his focus in the medium term is on his family. He did not rule out running for the full leadership later.
What the election showed
In Elections BC's preliminary count, the BC NDP leads in 28 of 93 districts, which is enough to sit as the official opposition. The Conservative Party of BC leads in 63.
Dix told Global News on October 27 that the snap election blocked every other issue the party wanted to raise. He said the party's supporters also did not vote because they did not see the election as necessary. He said the NDP still has people ready to hold the new Conservative majority government to account.
Stewart Prest, a political science lecturer at the University of British Columbia, told the Nanaimo News Bulletin he expects a broad and thorough full leadership race, and for the party to take a hard look at how to tell its own story and highlight its record.
Elections BC's final count, which adds mail-in and absentee ballots, starts on November 6, 2026. BC NDP news and legislature updates are at /bc/provincial-2026/news.
Questions this story answers
Why is the BC NDP choosing a new leader?
David Eby resigned as BC NDP leader on election night, October 24, 2026, after the party lost to the Conservative Party of BC. Eby called a snap election and the party received a large defeat. The BC NDP caucus is now meeting this week to choose an interim leader to lead the party in the legislature as the official opposition, the Nanaimo News Bulletin reported on October 27, 2026.
Who are the possible candidates for BC NDP interim leader?
Outgoing Health Minister Ravi Kahlon named seven currently elected MLAs as possible candidates on October 27, 2026: Mike Farnworth (Port Coquitlam MLA), Josie Osborne (Mid Island-Pacific Rim MLA), Adrian Dix (Vancouver-Renfrew MLA), Niki Sharma (Vancouver-Hastings MLA), Ravi Parmar (Langford-Highlands MLA), Spencer Chandra Herbert (Vancouver-West End MLA) and Jennifer Whiteside (New Westminster-Coquitlam MLA). He also mentioned Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West and Burnaby Mayor Mike Hurley as possibilities, the Nanaimo News Bulletin reported.
When will the BC NDP choose its interim leader?
The BC NDP caucus is meeting during the week of October 27, 2026 to select an interim leader, a caucus spokesperson told the Nanaimo News Bulletin on October 27. Both outgoing and newly elected members of the legislature plan to take part in the meeting. No specific date within the week was given.
Will the BC NDP also hold a full leadership race?
Yes. A BC NDP caucus spokesperson told the Nanaimo News Bulletin on October 27, 2026 that the party will separately take a clear and honest look at the campaign and set the timing and process for a leadership race in the weeks and months ahead. The interim selection this week is a separate, immediate step to have a leader in the legislature.
What did Ravi Kahlon say about the NDP's election loss?
Outgoing Health Minister Ravi Kahlon told the Nanaimo News Bulletin on October 27, 2026 that he does not expect the interim leadership process to be divisive and that there is no shortage of talented people in the caucus. He chose not to run for re-election and said his focus in the medium term is on his family, though he did not rule out running for the full leadership later.
How many MLAs does the BC NDP have after the 2026 election?
In Elections BC's preliminary count as of voting night, the BC NDP leads in 28 of 93 districts, enough to sit as the official opposition in the legislature. The Conservative Party of BC leads in 63 districts. Elections BC's final count, which adds mail-in and absentee ballots, starts on November 6, 2026.
What did Adrian Dix say about the election result?
Adrian Dix, the MLA for Vancouver-Renfrew and outgoing Energy minister, told Global News on October 27, 2026 that the party must listen and learn. He said the snap election blocked every other issue and that the party could not get its message out. He said the NDP will deliver a strong opposition to the Conservative government. In 2001, Dix said, the party suffered the biggest loss in its history and came back from it.
Where can I follow what the BC NDP does in the legislature?
News from the BC legislature and from elected MLAs of every party is at /bc/provincial-2026/news. The BC NDP won 28 seats in the preliminary count and will sit as the official opposition. Adrian Dix's record as an MLA is at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates/adrian-dix.
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