Incumbent MLA: Amelia Boultbee (BC NDP | 2024)
Candidates:
BC NDP: Tina Lee
BC Conservatives: Tracey St. Claire
BC Greens: Bradley Sean Bartsch
OneBC: Warren Hamm
2024 Results:
BC Conservatives - 41.4%
BC NDP - 40.2%
Independent (Tracey St. Claire) - 9.7%
BC Greens - 5.2%
Independent (Roger Harrington) - 2.9%
Independent (Anna Paddon) - 0.5%
Nestled in the heart of the Okanagan Valley, Penticton-Summerland typically leans towards the right. The riding encompasses the two titular municipalities at the southern end of Okanagan Lake, along with other smaller communities in the area, and was represented by former Mayor Dan Ashton of the BC Liberals (later BC United) for over a decade before Amelia Boultbee of the Conservatives narrowly held on to it.
In the two years since she was elected, Boultbee has been through quite the political journey. Less than a year after she first won, she resigned from the Conservative caucus in protest of John Rustad’s leadership, leading him to insinuate that she was suffering from mental health issues and sympathized with Hamas.
After more than eight months as an independent MLA, Boultbee crossed the floor to the BC NDP and helped oversee the response to raging wildfires in the Okanagan. However, she ultimately chose not to seek re-election and bowed out of provincial politics.
Her exit has left both the BC NDP and the BC Conservatives scrambling. To reunite the local activist base after the shock of Boultbee’s floor crossing, the BC NDP tapped their 2024 candidate Tina Lee for a second kick at the can.
The lack of a local MLA in Penticton-Summerland paralyzed much of Conservative organizing in the riding, leading to the party tapping former school trustee and ex-BC United candidate Tracey St. Claire. Given that she scored almost 10% last election, she brings some degree of sorely needed name recognition and organization to her candidacy.
The NDP maintains a solid floor in the area largely due to the city of Penticton, especially north of Industrial Avenue. The working-class heritage and unionized public sector workforce there have produced more of a left-wing tilt. Summerland is more in line with the rest of the riding, with its economy centered around independent farmers and the wine industry. Both of those constituencies lean more towards the right.
Complicating the plans of the two major parties are the Greens and OneBC. The Greens are fielding non-profit professional Bradley Bartsch for the second time, while OneBC is running former provincial Conservative leadership candidate Warren Hamm. Lee will seek to exploit the right-wing split while minimizing bleed to the Greens; St. Claire will want to unite the right whilst retaining her unique centrist appeal from the last election.
Hugh Chan is an International Relations student at the University of British Columbia who sometimes moonlights as a political reporter.
