Things come in threes.
About a year before the 2024 B.C. election, the first of three Central Okanagan B.C. United incumbents announced that they would be retiring.
That would be Ben Stewart, the on-and-off MLA for Westside-Kelowna since 2009. He briefly stepped aside in 2013 to allow former Premier Christy Clark the opportunity to run for his seat, after she had lost her riding of Vancouver-Point Grey.
Stewart later regained the Kelowna-West riding in a by-election after Clark resigned from the seat in 2017, her government toppled by the B.C. NDP supported by the B.C. Greens. Stewart would win again in 2020.
Following the 2023 news that Stewart would be stepping away from politics, another member of what was known as “Team Okanagan”, Norm Letnick, announced that he would also not be running in the next election. About eight months later, a third B.C. United MLA for the Central Okanagan, Renee Merrifield declared she had other things to accomplish beyond provincial politics.
With these three incumbents stepping aside ahead of this fall election, three different B.C. United candidates were acclaimed.
Ashley Ramsey was to replace Merrifield in Kelowna-Mission, Pavneet Singh to represent Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream and Stephen Johnston, to step into the shoes of Stewart as the candidate for West Kelowna-Peachland.
However, on Aug. 28, B.C. United Leader Kevin Falcon made the surprise announcement that he was suspending his party's electoral campaign and directing party candidates to instead support the B.C. Conservatives.
In the immediate aftermath, incumbents would be shuffled from meeting to meeting, while B.C. United candidates would, “receive a text from a friend telling them the news”, according Johnston.
Johnston, a West Kelowna city councillor, has been supported by retiring B.C. United incumbent Stewart and claimed it was his "(desire) all along that the two parties come together.” Stewart backed this sentiment, saying in an Aug. 29, interview with Black Press Media, that Johnston, “(was) advocating for the B.C. United and B.C. Conservative parties to come together and make some solutions.”
However, nine days after Falcon flipped his party upside down, the United group waiting to hear from the B.C. Conservatives became more impatient.
Despite the Central Okanagan's history of re-electing centre-right candidates — the B.C. NDP has never elected a candidate in the Kelowna riding area — the B.C. Conservatives have not reached out to any of the area's now-former B.C. United candidates.
This left the Central Okanagan B.C. United candidates with a decision to make.
First came Ramsey, stating she had “decided to create her own path forward.” On the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 4, she said her community needed strong, local leadership and re-entered the race as an Independent.
"The voters told me they were voting for me, not the (B.C. United) party. I can't let them down,” she said.
Second came Johnston, who took to social media to let voters know he would continue to fight for a seat in the legislature in the upcoming provincial election, as an unaffiliated contender.
Singh has yet to announce his intentions, taking to social media thanking supporters and reminding voters of his landslide victory in the BC United nomination.
Meanwhile, Dr. Michael Humer, the former party’s Kelowna Centre contender said he is “considering any alternatives” and remained “undeterred.”
Since the news of the B.C. United's campaign suspension, there have been rumours circulating that those not picked by the B.C. Conservatives to represent the Central Okanagan would look to create a new political party.
In B.C., if independent candidates in at least two separate ridings win a seat in the legislature, they are able to form their own party. That means that if at least one other former B.C. United candidate steps forward to run as an independent and each win their riding, the pair could combine forces and qualify for party status in the legislature.
Singh, Humer and Johnston have yet to respond to inquiries regarding the possibility of forming a new independent party within the Okanagan.
Ramsay said that she put her name down as a B.C. United candidate because she was committed to serving her community with the experience garnered from running businesses and raising a family in Kelowna. Now as an independent, she intends to hold true to that commitment.
There are seven ridings across the Okanagan.
Ramsay said she cannot speak for the political intentions of others, but did say "we are in a strong position."
~ With files from Jacqueline Gelineau
