Scott McInnis running for Conservative Party in Columbia River-Revelstoke
Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis rejoined the Conservative Party of BC on September 21, a day before Premier David Eby called the provincial election, after spending about two and a half weeks as an independent.
Reported. A news outlet found this. voche.me names the outlet and links its report. Read the original report on columbiavalleypioneer.com.
Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis is running for re-election as a Conservative Party of BC candidate in the October 24 provincial election. The Columbia Valley Pioneer reported on October 2 that McInnis rejoined the party on September 21, one day before Premier David Eby called the election.
McInnis had spent about two and a half weeks as an independent MLA before his return. The Columbia Valley Pioneer reported that he left the Conservative caucus in early September, citing concerns with the direction of the party under then-leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay. He was one of nine Conservative MLAs who left the party over the summer of 2026.
The sequence of events moved quickly. On September 20, Findlay resigned as party leader and Lorne Doerkson was appointed as interim leader. McInnis announced he was rejoining the Conservatives on September 21, on invitation from Doerkson. The provincial election was called on September 22.
The Pioneer reported that it attempted to reach McInnis for comment but could not do so before its publication deadline. Former Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok, who the Pioneer described as a mentor to McInnis before the 2024 election, spoke with the paper instead. Clovechok described McInnis's decision as "a carefully thought out decision to come back."
The Pioneer reported that McInnis has said he believes in building a party that represents a majority of British Columbians without what he described as ideological purity tests. He noted, according to the same report, that no party has defeated the NDP since 1952 without assembling a broad coalition.
The Columbia River-Revelstoke riding is in the interior of British Columbia. The full candidate list for the riding, including any additional nominees added before the October 3 deadline, will appear at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/columbia-river-revelstoke.
Nominations for the October 24 election close October 3, 2026 at 1 p.m. Pacific time. The confirmed candidate list for Columbia River-Revelstoke and all other ridings will be available at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates after that point.
Questions this story answers
Is Scott McInnis running as a Conservative in the October 24 election?
Yes. Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Scott McInnis rejoined the Conservative Party of BC on September 21, 2026, according to the Columbia Valley Pioneer, and is running as the Conservative candidate in the riding. He will seek re-election in the seat he currently holds. Voting day is October 24, 2026.
Why did Scott McInnis leave and rejoin the Conservative caucus?
The Columbia Valley Pioneer reported that McInnis left the Conservative caucus in early September 2026 over concerns with the direction of the party under then-leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay. He was one of nine Conservative MLAs who left the party over the summer. He rejoined on September 21, the day after Lorne Doerkson was appointed as interim leader, after Doerkson extended an invitation to return.
When exactly did McInnis rejoin the Conservative Party?
Scott McInnis rejoined the Conservative Party of BC on September 21, 2026, according to the Columbia Valley Pioneer. That was one day before BC Premier David Eby called the election on September 22. McInnis went from sitting as an independent MLA on September 19, to rejoining the party on September 21, to being in campaign mode on September 22 when the election was called.
Who is Lorne Doerkson and what role did he play?
Lorne Doerkson is the interim leader of the Conservative Party of BC, appointed on September 20, 2026, after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned her leadership post. According to the Columbia Valley Pioneer, Doerkson invited McInnis back to the party, and McInnis accepted the next day. Doerkson is himself a candidate in the October 24 election.
What does McInnis say about his approach to politics?
The Columbia Valley Pioneer reported that McInnis said he believes in building a party that can represent a majority of British Columbians without what he called ideological purity tests. He noted that no political party since 1952 has defeated the NDP without being a broad coalition representing British Columbians from the centre of the political spectrum to the right.
What is the Columbia River-Revelstoke riding?
Columbia River-Revelstoke is a provincial electoral district in the interior of British Columbia. You can find the riding page and candidate information at /bc/provincial-2026/races/mla/columbia-river-revelstoke. Voting day across the province is October 24, 2026. Advance voting runs October 16 to 21.
Did the Columbia Valley Pioneer get a comment from McInnis directly?
The Columbia Valley Pioneer reported that its reporter tried to reach McInnis for comment but was unable to get a response before the article's deadline. The story drew on a comment from former Columbia River-Revelstoke MLA Doug Clovechok, who said he considered McInnis's decision to return to the Conservatives a carefully thought-out one.
Where can I find more information about candidates in the October 24 BC election?
You can view the list of candidates registered so far at /bc/provincial-2026/candidates. Nominations close October 3, 2026 at 1 p.m. Pacific time, after which the full confirmed list for all 93 ridings will be available. Elections BC is the official source for the candidate register.
Sources
The pages this story draws on. Open one to check a claim yourself.
- Columbia Valley Pioneer: MLA McInnis rejoins partycolumbiavalleypioneer.com
- BC candidates listelections.bc.ca
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