Brenda Bailey is fourth NDP cabinet minister who won’t run in B.C. election
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High-profile British Columbia cabinet minister Brenda Bailey won’t be running for re-election in the Oct. 24 vote, becoming the fourth minister in David Eby’s government to drop out.
Bailey left the finance portfolio to take on the Jobs Ministry in August as she underwent cancer treatment.
In a statement posted on social media, Bailey says she’s had surgery and is now cancer free, but won’t be seeking re-election in her riding of Vancouver-South Granville.
Health Minister Ravi Kahlon, Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene and Agriculture Minister Lana Popham have already said they won’t be running again.
When asked about Kahlon’s decision during a campaign stop in front of the Peace Arch border crossing, Eby says he was “heartbroken” over the loss of an incredible member of his team.
However, he says he understands the need for Kahlon to prioritize his family.
Eby committed to increasing provincial efforts to recruit health care professionals in the United States, expanding to Republican-controlled states where doctors and nurses face laws that restrict their ability to provide “life-saving reproductive care.”
BC Green Leader Emily Lowan meanwhile announced she plans to run in what is considered a safe riding for her party in the Victoria area.
Green Party member Rob Botterell — who was part of a Green caucus of two with Jeremy Valeriote — announced he won’t seek re-election in Saanich North and the Islands, while Lowan will fill the spot for the Greens.
Lowan, who doesn’t have a seat in the legislature, says both major parties have failed B.C. residents and her party could hold the balance of power after the Oct. 24 provincial election.
The Saanich North riding turned Green when Adam Olsen won in 2017 with almost 42 per cent of the vote.
B.C.’s chief electoral officer, Shipra Verma, says Elections BC is also making plans for the vote and needs to hire 17,000 people if it’s to deliver the same services as in the 2024 election.
Verma says the last election cost $91 million and Elections BC initially asked for $50 million for preparation for the current vote, but the full cost will be reported afterwards.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 23, 2026.