A retrospective of over thirty years of provincial elections in British Columbia

British Columbians will head to the polls on Oct. 19 for the next provincial election. The NDP is aiming to retain power, while the right-wing landscape has shifted, with the former opposition party, BC United, disbanding and its leader, Kevin Falcon, backing the B.C. Conservatives.

Here’s a brief history of B.C. elections over the past 30 years:

1996: NDP Majority
The NDP, led by Glen Clark, wins a majority despite the Liberals under Gordon Campbell capturing the popular vote with 41.8%. Clark had taken over leadership after Mike Harcourt resigned due to a charity bingo fund scandal.

2001: Liberal Party Landslide
The NDP, under Premier Ujjal Dosanjh, suffers a historic defeat, holding onto only two seats as the Liberals sweep the election. Glen Clark had resigned in 1999 amid accusations of accepting free home renovations from a neighbor seeking a casino license.

2005: Liberal Majority
Gordon Campbell’s Liberals maintain their majority, though they drop from 77 to 46 seats. The NDP, under Carole James, rebounds from just two seats to 33.

2009: Liberal Majority
The Liberals, again led by Gordon Campbell, win another majority. Campbell later resigns over backlash from implementing the Harmonized Sales Tax.

2013: Fourth Liberal Majority
The Liberals secure a fourth consecutive majority, this time under Christy Clark. Though Clark loses her seat to NDP newcomer David Eby, she wins a byelection in Westside-Kelowna. The BC Greens gain their first seat, with Andrew Weaver elected in Oak Bay-Gordon Head.

2017: NDP-Green Coalition
The Liberals win a narrow minority, but Christy Clark loses a confidence vote. John Horgan becomes premier after the NDP forms a coalition with the Greens, securing 44 seats—just enough for a majority.

2020: NDP Majority
John Horgan calls a snap election during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing the need for stability. The NDP wins a decisive majority government.