B.C. Conservatives pay off $5M election debt amid membership spike in leadership race

B.C. Conservative leadership candidates from left to right, Peter Milobar, Iain Black, Yuri Fulmer, Caroline Elliott and Kerry-Lynne Findlay pose for a photograph following a debate at the Canada Strong and Free Network conference in Vancouver on Friday, April 24, 2026. (Chad Hipolito / The Canadian Press)

VANCOUVER — The B.C. Conservative Party says it’s “officially debt-free” after paying off the last portion of the $5 million the party owed from the 2024 provincial election campaign.

The party says in a statement that it was able to pay off the debt while using leadership fees and remittances for less than three per cent of the amount owing.

The Opposition Conservatives announced last week that its membership has jumped to more than 42,000 — a six-fold increase from the 7,000 members the party had in December.

The spike comes as candidates in the Conservative leadership race had until April 18 to sign up new members in time to vote.

Angelo Isidorou, the party’s executive director, says he’s proud to see the Conservatives “continue to scale up,” with the debt being repaid a year ahead of schedule.

He says the party now has “a growing war chest for the next election.”

The party is looking to elect its next leader among five candidates: Iain Black, Caroline Elliott, Peter Milobar, Kerry-Lynne Findlay and Yuri Fulmer.

Ballots are to be sent out May 9, with the winner announced at its May 30 leadership convention.

“We are already ahead of where our organization was in the 2024 election, where we lost a majority government by only 395 votes,” Isidorou said.

“Our mandate is clear — the next leader will become the next premier. None of this would have been possible without our grassroots supporters.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2026.