Surrey candidates take shape ahead of B.C.’s Oct. 24 vote, with last election results providing context

Candidates are seeking places on B.C. election ballots ahead of the province’s Oct. 24 final voting day in a snap election called by Premier David Eby. Nominations close Saturday, Oct. 3, at 1 p.m. The province will elect 93 MLAs, including 10 in Surrey-area electoral districts. The article also references notes from the 2022 provincial election, when Surrey’s voting results were divided.

In Surrey City Centre, NDP MLA Amna Shah is seeking re-election after narrowly defeating Conservative candidate Zeeshan Wahla in 2024 following an Elections BC-ordered recount. Shah has served as Parliamentary Secretary for Anti-Racism Initiatives and Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health and Addictions.

Surrey-Cloverdale’s current MLA, Elenore Sturko, was named CentreBC leader on Sept. 22 and is now running in Surrey South. Two years ago, she narrowly defeated incumbent B.C. NDP MLA Mike Starchuk, who is now running for Surrey mayor with the Imagine Surrey slate.

In Surrey-Fleetwood, NDP MLA Jagrup Brar is seeking re-election after defeating Conservative challenger Avtar Gill in 2024. Brar has since served as Minister of Mining and Critical Minerals. CentreBC’s candidate is Paul Brar, a realtor since 1988 and a Surrey resident for more than 30 years.

NDP MLA Garry Begg is seeking re-election in Surrey-Guildford, where he beat Conservative challenger and lawyer Honveer Singh Randhawa by 22 votes in 2024. Randhawa is now running for Surrey mayor. In Surrey-Newton, NDP MLA Jessie Sunner is also seeking re-election after winning 7,924 votes in 2024, 1,266 more than Conservative candidate Tegjot Bal. Sunner, a Hospital Employees’ Union trade unionist and human rights lawyer, has served as Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

In Surrey North, political newcomer Mandeep Dhaliwal won for the Conservatives two years ago with 50.67 per cent of 15,697 votes cast, defeating two-time NDP MLA Rachna Singh. On Sept. 23, Singh said she was considering another run but had not been approached by NDP officials; another NDP candidate is expected on the ballot.

In Surrey-Panorama, first-term Conservative MLA Bryan Tepper, elected in 2024, confirmed Sept. 23 that he will run again. The NDP has nominated Jinny Sims, who held the riding until two years ago.

Former Surrey mayor Linda Hepner, who won Surrey-Serpentine River for the B.C. Conservatives in 2024 over NDP candidate Baltej Singh Dhillon, will not run in 2026. On Sept. 22, she said she could not commit to another four years at this stage of her life. It remains unclear whether Dhillon will run again.

In Surrey South, MLA Brent Chapman has left the Conservatives for OneBC after his wife, Kerry-Lynne Findlay, was ousted as leader of the Conservative Party of B.C. Chapman won in 2024 with 13,056 votes, nearly 4,000 more than his only challenger, NDP candidate Haroon Ghaffar. CentreBC leader Elenore Sturko is now running in the riding.

In Surrey-White Rock, Trevor Halford was first elected in 2020 and won again in 2024 over NDP challenger and former White Rock mayor Darryl Walker. After a rapidly changing week involving the B.C. Conservative Party, Halford said he was happy to be back with colleagues after Kerry-Lynne Findlay briefly ousted him before resigning as party leader.