CentreBC leader Elenore Sturko to run in Surrey South in provincial election

CentreBC leader Elenore Sturko will run in Surrey South in the provincial election, returning to the riding where she was first elected in a 2022 byelection. Sturko said Friday, Sept. 25, that she made the decision recently and wanted to campaign in her home riding, where her political career began.

Sturko was elected in the 2022 byelection after former MLA Stephanie Cadieux left electoral politics to become Canada’s first Chief Accessibility Officer. She said she is grateful for her time serving Cloverdale and that her office has handled more than 1,500 public cases across Surrey South and Surrey-Cloverdale, helping people connect with government services and navigate problems linked to gaps in provincial services.

Sturko rejected suggestions that CentreBC would simply split the vote and give the NDP another victory. She said the party offers an alternative for people unwilling to support either the NDP or Conservatives, including people who might otherwise stay home or spoil their ballots. She criticized NDP leader David Eby’s record and said some voters do not view the Conservatives as a stable option after two years of internal turmoil.

Sturko was removed from the BC Conservative caucus last September, sat as an independent and joined CentreBC earlier this month. She said the party’s vision is for a balanced approach to government and for British Columbia to work with Ottawa, federal partners and other provinces to improve quality of life and attract investment.

She said she has heard only rumours about other Surrey South candidates. Former Conservative MLA Brent Chapman, elected to represent the riding in 2024, later left the Conservatives for OneBC. OneBC’s website lists him as a candidate for South Surrey-White Rock, although no provincial riding has that name; Surrey South and Surrey-White Rock are separate ridings. Peace Arch News has contacted Chapman and OneBC.