B.C. Conservatives take early lead as election campaign gets underway: Poll

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal NewsPolitics B.C. Conservatives take early lead as election campaign gets underway: Poll A competing poll shows the NDP ahead, suggesting voters remain divided as the parties head into the campaign. Author of the article: By Cheryl Chan Published Sep 24, 2026 Last updated 25 minutes ago 3 minute read Join the conversation Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson at CRAB Park in Vancouver. PHOTO BY ARLEN REDEKOP /PNG Article content Two polls released within two days offer sharply different pictures of the early B.C. election campaign, with one showing the Conservatives eight points ahead of the NDP while the other has the NDP leading by five. Article content The contrasting results, based on polling during the tumultuous few days as NDP Leader David Eby called a snap election Tuesday and the B.C. Conservatives reunited under Lorne Doerkson, underscore how unsettled the electorate is at the start of the campaign even as dissatisfaction with the incumbent party runs high. Article content Article content Article content An Angus Reid Institute poll released Thursday found 43 per cent of decided and leaning B.C. voters support the Conservatives compared with 35 per cent for the NDP. About one in five respondents remain undecided. 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 The results come 10 days after polling had the NDP four points ahead of the Conservatives. Article content “Ire over the timing of the early election call may be driving some of the backlash,” noted the Angus Reid Institute, which surveyed 801 British Columbians online between Sept. 22 and 24. Article content Some 62 per cent of respondents said it was “too soon” for a provincial election, while 65 per cent believed Eby was putting his own interests ahead of the province’s in calling it. Article content The results contrasted with a Liaison Strategies poll released Wednesday, which put the NDP five points ahead of the Conservatives at 41 per cent among decided and leaning voters. Article content The telephone poll surveyed 1,000 British Columbians and was conducted Sept. 21 and 22, overlapping both the election call and rapid changes within the…