Incumbent Boundary-Similkameen Conservative MLA Donegal Wilson has been re-elected, and this time she will sit on the government side of the house.
Speaking on election night from the Keremeos Legion, Wilson said she was “thankful” to win another term and “super excited to have Lorne Doerksen take leadership of the party and now be premier of the province. It’s pretty exciting times.”
Wilson said she couldn’t have imagined such an outcome just a few months ago. At that time, the Conservatives were in chaos, with MLAs including Wilson leaving the caucus in protest of Kerry-Lynn Finlay’s leadership. Wilson briefly joined a nameless party led by Peter Milobar. However, she rejoined the Conservatives after Finlay resigned and Doerksen was named interim leader.
“The premier chose to make a snap election and thought he could catch everybody out,” Wilson said. “I think British Columbians spoke very clearly about the mandate he was trying to get, [that] they’re not happy with his choice.
“I think the message is that British Columbia is ready for a new direction and a Conservative government to move forward. [David] Eby provided the opportunity for us to do that two years sooner.” (The next election was not scheduled until 2028.)
Wilson added that serving in government is something she has been preparing for since she was first electd in 2024. She served as the opposition critic for water, lands, resource stewardship, and wildlife.
She also thanked fellow candidates Roly Russell of the NDP and Keith Pomeroy of OneBC for putting their names forward. “It’s not easy to put your name on a ballot,” she said. “I appreciated working with them throughout the campaign.”
Wilson won with 52 per cent of the vote, compared to about 41 per cent for Russell and seven per cent for Pomeroy. The totals are as follows:
| Electoral District | Candidate’s Ballot Name | Affiliation | Total Votes | % of Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boundary-Similkameen | Keith Pomeroy | OneBC | 1,495 | 6.83% |
| Roly Russell | BC NDP | 8,867 | 40.52% | |
| Donegal Wilson | Conservative Party | 11,463 | 52.38% | |
| Total Valid Votes | 21,825 | 99.73% | ||
| Rejected Ballots* | 58 | 0.27% | ||
| Total Considered Votes | 21,883 | 100% | ||
| Advance voting ballot boxes | 10 of 10 reported (Not Verified) | ||||
| Final Voting Day ballot boxes | 78 of 78 reported (Not Verified) | ||||
