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West Kelowna city councillor to run provincially for BC United

Johnston to run under BCU

West Kelowna city councillor Stephen Johnston has been selected by the BC United party as its candidate in the West Kelowna-Peachland riding.

Johnston, 38, is a two-term councillor who first dipped his toe into the political arena in 2014 when he ran unsuccessfully for mayor. He was elected to council in 2018, then topped the polls again when he was elected for a second term in 2022.

He will carry the BC United banner in place of retiring MLA Ben Stewart.

“I’m excited to join Kevin Falcon and the BC United team in continuing the exceptional representation that BC United MLA Ben Stewart has provided for 14 years,” Johnston said in a news release.

“Our communities deserve strong representation and I am committed to working tirelessly to ensure my community and future generations have the best access to things like housing, health care, education, and public safety. I look forward to working with Kevin Falcon and the BC United team to help shape a prosperous future for our province.”

In the Central Okanagan, Johnston will run for BC United alongside Kelowna-Mission MLA Renee Merrifield, Dr. Michael Humer in the new riding of Kelowna Centre and Pavneet Singh, who is running in place of retiring Norm Letnick in Kelowna-Lake Country Coldstream.

Singh is the only one to win his candidacy through a vote by local party members while the others appear to have been selected by party leadership.

The BC Conservatives have selected candidates in both West Kelowna-Peachland, Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream and Kelowna-Mission. The BC NDP has not announced any candidates in the region.

The next provincial election will be held on or before Oct. 19, 2024.



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