John Rustad, who was ousted as the leader of the B.C. Conservatives last year, will not be running to reclaim the party’s top job. In a statement Sunday, Rustad said the move comes despite a swell of encouragement for him to enter the contest. “People signed up, organized, made calls, and were ready to help in every practical way, including financially. Many of you were prepared to invest in a leadership run because you believe in the future of this party and the future of this province. I am grateful for that support, and I do not dismiss it lightly,” he wrote. “After a lot of reflection, I have decided that I will not be entering the leadership race.” Rustad, when announcing his resignation, said the move came from a desire to avoid a “civil war” within the party, and he reiterated that message Sunday—stressing unity as the priority. “British Columbia needs a Conservative Party that is united, focused, and ready to form government. The best thing I can do for the party, and ultimately for the province, is to support the next leader and help ensure we come out of this process stronger, not divided,” he wrote. Rustad was ousted from the B.C. Liberals in 2022 over comments questioning the science of climate change, and announced he was joining the B.C. Conservatives the following year. For months, he was the party’s only MLA. After a number of high-profile defections from B.C. United, formerly the B.C. Liberals, the Conservatives had eight seats in the legislature when the last provincial election was called. The party, which had not seen an MLA elected since 1975, would go on to win 44 seats—falling just short of forming government. But the party has been plagued by division and infighting, with a handful of members either leaving or being ousted—reducing the seat count to 39. Trevor Halford is serving as the party’s interim leader, and there are 10 candidates who have announced they are running. The new leader will be named on May 30. Rustad has already said he will not be running in the next provincial election.
