Abbotsford MLA Bruce Banman withdraws from B.C. Tory leadership bid

Published 10:10 am Monday, March 16, 2026

Abbotsford South MLA Bruce Banman has withdrawn from the B.C. Conservative leadership race and is now endorsing candidate Yuri Fulmer.

In the announcement made on Sunday (March 15), Banman said he will now serve as Fulmer’s campaign co-chair.

Banman said the decision comes after “careful consideration of what the party needs to win and what British Columbia needs in the years ahead.”

He said the Conservatives need a “fresh face who can inject new energy” into the party.

“Yuri is the real deal. He’s a true conservative who understands exactly what it is going to take to get our province back on track,” Banman said.

“The next premier will have a tough job ahead of them to kickstart our economy and get B.C. working again after years of failed policies and mismanagement from David Eby and the NDP. Yuri is the only candidate with a proven track record in the private sector who understands business, the economy and real leadership.”

Fulmer said he is “incredibly grateful” to have Banman’s endorsement.

“Bruce was instrumental in raising the profile of the B.C. Conservatives and securing Official Party status in the legislature,” he said.

“He has contributed so much to this movement, and I’m honoured that he’ll be joining our team to help protect our party and build a better B.C.”

Fulmer said British Columbians are ready for a change after “years of economic stagnation, rising costs and policies that have made life harder for families and small businesses.”

Fulmer, the chancellor of Capilano University in North Vancouver, announced in early January that he was joining the race to become the leader of the B.C. Conservative Party.

The party has been led by interim leader Trevor Halford (Surrey-White Rock MLA) since John Rustad resigned on Dec. 4 following a dramatic confrontation with his own MLAs. Out of the 39 caucus members, 20 had called for him to step down.

Fulmer ran in the 2024 provincial election in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, but was narrowly defeated by Green Party MLA Jeremy Valeriote.

Banman announced in early February that he would run in the leadership election.

He has been the riding’s MLA since 2020, when he was with the B.C. Liberals, which later became B.C. United. Banman left B.C. United in September 2023 to join the Conservatives.

At the time he first ran for provincial politics, he was an Abbotsford councillor, a role he had held since 2018.

He stepped down from council in February 2021 to focus solely on being an MLA, triggering a byelection for his open seat, which was won by Dave Sidhu.

Prior to that, Banman was mayor of Abbotsford from 2011 to 2014.

To date, a total of seven people are still in the running for the Conservative Party leadership.

In addition to Fulmer, they are: Iain Black (former Port Moody-Westwood and Port-Moody Coquitlam MLA), Caroline Elliott (former BC United vice-president), Kerry-Lynne Findlay (former South Surrey-White Rock MP), Warren Hamm (businessman and political advocate), Darrell Jones (former president of the Pattison Food Group) and Peter Milobar (Kamloops Centre MLA).

The voting period begins on May 9, leading up to the final announcement on May 30.

Abbotsford MLA Bruce Banman withdraws from B.C. Tory leadership bid

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