Who is Lorne Doerkson? Meet the B.C. Conservatives' new interim leader

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal NewsPolitics Who is Lorne Doerkson? Meet the B.C. Conservatives' new interim leader Here's what to know about Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson, the newest leader of the B.C. Conservatives Author of the article: By Stephanie Ip Published Sep 21, 2026 Last updated 2 minutes ago 2 minute read Join the conversation Here's what to know about Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson, the newest leader of the B.C. Conservatives. PHOTO BY CHAD HIPOLITO /POSTMEDIA Article content The revolving door of B.C. politics continues to spin. Article content Lorne Doerkson is the latest to take up the reins of the B.C. Conservative Party, after Kerry-Lynne Findlay resigned on Sunday. Article content Article content Findlay’s resignation as leader comes following an exodus of MLAs and the firings of key party staff members. Article content Doerkson was named interim party leader. Article content Here’s what to know about MLA Lorne Doerkson: Article content Article content First elected in 2020 in Cariboo-Chilcotin Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content Doerkson was first elected as MLA for Cariboo-Chilcotin in 2020, winning 51.25 per cent of the vote. At the time, Doerkson ran under the B.C. Liberal banner, taking the riding with a healthy margin over the NDP’s Scott Andrews (32.46 per cent). Article content The B.C. NDP would go on to form government following the 2020 election, leaving the B.C. Liberals — which would later be renamed B.C. United — to sit as Opposition. Article content Under B.C. United, Doerkson served as Opposition critic for rural development, and as the party’s deputy whip. Article content Crossing the floor to join the B.C. Conservatives Article content In the spring of 2024, Doerkson made the decision to join the B.C. Conservatives. Article content His defection from the B.C. United party came as talks for a possible non-compete deal broke down between the two parties, leading up to the 2024 election. Article content “This is the toughest decision I have made in my life,” he told media at the time. Article content “I have spent countless hours listening to my constituents in recent months. The…