The BC Conservatives are set to announce their new leader on May 30, and while each campaign is declaring their candidate the front-runner, the truth is, it's anyone's game.
On April 8, (almost) all of them took part in a debate hosted by Juno News to battle it out and try to sway members. Following the event, Sitka Media caught up with moderator and Conservative MP Aaron Gunn to get his take on what the race will come down to.
I asked Aaron Gunn what he thinks will be the deciding factor in the BC Conservative leadership race.
— Jarryd Jäger (@JarrydJaeger) April 9, 2026
Here’s what he had to say 👇 pic.twitter.com/vSuZI0f0c7
"I think the voters in the BC Conservative party want to elect a true conservative," Gunn said. "This race is about who do you trust to be that true conservative and to represent your voice in the provincial legislature."
He went on to note that while many candidates have lengthy ideological records, others come in with more diverse backgrounds.
"Some individuals are very new to politics that are on that stage, some have been around a while," Gunn said, "and I think that's where the interesting dynamic really comes into play."
Aaron Gunn says the first BC Conservative leadership debate left him feeling “much more optimistic” that the party will be led by a true conservative. pic.twitter.com/1HqINBwGOl
— Jarryd Jäger (@JarrydJaeger) April 9, 2026
When asked whether he was concerned that the party could stray from its conservative roots, Gunn noted that after hearing from the candidates, he was "much more optimistic" that a "true conservative" would win.
Since then, the field has narrowed from six candidates to five, with Warren Hamm dropping out to endorse Yuri Fulmer. The next debate is scheduled to take place April 24 at the Canada Strong & Free Network conference in Vancouver.
