Caroline Elliott to run for BC Conservatives in West Vancouver-Capilano

The BC Conservatives have announced that Caroline Elliott will be running in West Vancouver-Capilano.

Since its creation in 1991, the seat has been held by the BC Conservatives and their step-parent, the BC Liberals (BC United). In 2024, would-be incumbent Lynne Block bested her BC NDP rival 12,050 votes to 7,005.

Block has been shuffled over to the nearby riding of North Vancouver-Seymour, where the situation is less certain. The BC Liberals held on to the seat from 1991 to 2020, however during the pandemic it flipped BC NDP.

In 2024, Susie Chant won again, beating BC Conservative candidate Sam Chandola by 16,210 votes to 10,995.

Elliott previously served as a staffer for, then vice-president of the BC Liberals. Prior to BC United leader Kevin Falcon's decision to fold the party into the BC Conservatives in 2024, she was slated to be the candidate for West Vancouver-Capilano.

She was recently one of five candidates to make it to the finale of the BC Conservatives' leadership race, losing to now-former leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay 51% to 49% in the last round of voting.

UPDATED: Findlay resigns as leader of BC Conservatives — will still run in byelection

Her move marks the culmination of a week of turmoil in the party.

Sitka MediaJarryd Jäger

Just days before BC NDP leader David Eby called the election, Findlay resigned amid growing internal pressure. Lorne Doerkson was named interim leader.

"I'm proud to run under the Conservative banner, and I'm honoured to run under Lorne Doerkson's leadership," Elliott said. "Lorne has experience in business and in the legislature. He knows what it means to truly serve a community, and he knows what it means to put the people of British Columbia first."

She also thanked Block for having "stepped up to take on an NDP-held riding."

"I especially want to thank her for her understanding of the impact of politics on young families like mine," Elliott added. "The ability to come home to the riding I live in and make my kids part of local constituency life in my own neighbourhood is invaluable to me, and was a crucial consideration when it came to my decision to run."