Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson will seek re-election next year under the B.C. United banner for an expanded riding that will now stretch from the Chilcotin, through the Cariboo, down to Ashcroft and over to the cusp of Kamloops.
Doerkson announced his re-election campaign last week at an event in Kamloops, alongside B.C. United Leader Kevin Falcon. He followed that Oct. 11 event with an announcement in 100 Mile House Friday, Oct. 13.
The one-term MLA said he already represents constituents from Anahim Lake down to 70 Mile House.
“This riding will now take up a lot of the current Fraser-Nicola riding and it will still be called the Cariboo-Chilcotin,” Doerkson said. “I’m going to be going down to Cache Creek and all other points that are included in the new riding. That’s everything from Clinton, Cache Creek, Ashcroft, Savona and Tobiano. It’s a big area.”
B.C.’s next election is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, just over a year away. During that year Doerkson said he’s going to work to connect with his future constituents, while representing the needs of his current constituents in Victoria.
A former publisher of the 100 Mile House Free Press, among others, he was first elected in 2020 under the B.C. Liberal banner. The B.C. Liberal Party has since officially changed its name to B.C. United.
During his announcement in 100 Mile House, Doerkson touched upon several issues while talking to the party faithful who came out to meet him at the Red Rock Grill. He said healthcare, wildfire management policy, mental health, drug treatment and an increase in taxes are all top of mind.
Overall, people are at odds with B.C.’s NDP government, he told supporters, promising B.C. United can help people get past that.
This will mark the NDP’s first election without former premier John Horgan at the helm. Horgan stepped down last summer and was replaced by Premier David Eby.
According to a poll of 800 people conducted by Research Co. in September, 48 per cent of decided voters would cast their ballot for the NDP if the election took place today. B.C. United and the Conservative Party of B.C., meanwhile, are virtually tied with 20 per cent and 19 per cent respectively.
The poll went on to say Eby is the most popular of B.C. party leaders, with 52 per cent of voters surveyed approving of his leadership. Falcon has an approval rating of only 29 per cent while the Conservative Party of B.C.’s John Rustard trails him with a 25 per cent approval rating. BC Green leader Sonia Furstenau has a 36 per cent.
Some pundits have suggested the B.C. Conservative Party may pull support from B.C. United, formerly a B.C. Liberal party that brought federal Conservatives and Liberals under a single banner in this province.
Doerkson said he’s not worried about a challenge from the Conservative Party, noting a lot of supporters came out to his announcements in Williams Lake and 100 Mile House. In politics, things can change on a dime and next October is a long way away, he said.
“I’d be surprised if we didn’t have challengers from all the parties, frankly. I think there is a surge (of Conservative support) for a variety of reasons but the election is a long way away. Polls have been released and there’s all kinds of polls that say the Conservatives don’t stand a chance here,” Doerkson said. “Polls are always complex and confusing. What I’m going to bank on is that I’ve worked really hard for the last three years and if we go to a full term I’m going to continue to work hard. I hope people recognize those efforts.”