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Kerry-Lynne Findlay won the BC Conservative Party leadership race, and the establishment is losing its mind.

After a five-month race that attracted tens of thousands of party members, Kerry-Lynne Findlay emerged victorious as the new leader of the Conservative Party of BC.

For many grassroots conservatives, the win represents renewed hope for the future. For the political establishment, however, it appears to represent a threat.

Like a Boss 🤣 pic.twitter.com/bFkA5PUHm2

— Drea Humphrey (@DreaHumphrey) May 31, 2026

As I found while covering the race, many members were drawn to Findlay not only because they viewed her as the most conservative candidate in the contest, but also because of her impressive resume. Supporters pointed to her experience as a former cabinet minister under Stephen Harper, her service as a senior Conservative leader and caucus whip, her legal background, including work involving land disputes, and her commitment to what she frequently describes as “faith, family, and freedom.”

But her political opponents are quick to dismiss these attributes.

Within a day of her victory, before Findlay had even had the opportunity to lead, NDP, legacy media, and even former left-leaning BC Conservatives appeared to be working overtime to frame Findlay’s leadership as dangerous, divisive, and “Trump-style politics.”

Yet many of the same voices now warning about polarization seem unwilling to acknowledge a simpler explanation: Conservative members were given a democratic choice and selected the candidate they believed best reflected their conservative values.

With support for Premier David Eby's NDP showing signs of erosion and affordability, public safety, and private property security remaining top concerns for many British Columbians, Findlay now finds herself leading the Official Opposition at a time when voters appear increasingly open to political change.

In today's report, I recap Findlay's dramatic victory, reactions from some of her fellow candidates and Conservative MLAs, and the political and media frenzy that erupted almost immediately after grassroots members chose their new leader.