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The political strategist credited with much of the resurgence of the B.C. Conservatives has announced he is stepping down from his position as the party’s campaign manager and executive director.
Angelo Isidorou said in a news release Thursday that he is leaving on “amicable and mutual terms” with new party leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay, who Isidorou said is leading the party into its next chapter with a fresh mandate.
Isidorou highlighted the growth of the Conservative Party over the course of his tenure.
“In just a few short years, we made history, surging to unprecedented support, presenting a powerful modern brand, fueled by the largest membership in the province, all under a multi-million-dollar organization,” he said in the release.
“Most importantly, we came within a hair of forming a majority government.”
A party that generally polled in the low single-digits in B.C. for decades, the Conservative Party started rising in popularity dramatically following Isidorou’s appointment and John Rustad becoming Conservative leader in 2023.
When B.C. United suspended its 2024 election campaign less than two months before voting day, the Conservatives became the Official Opposition in B.C.
Findlay said in the joint news release that she appreciated the continuity Isidorou brought during the Conservatives’ early transition period.
Findlay was elected as the new leader in May, after former leader Rustad, under whose banner the Conservatives campaigned in 2024, resigned when more than half his caucus called for him to be removed.
A wave of support for Isidorou’s work poured in on social media in response to his decision to leave.
MLA for Langley-Abbotsford Harman Bhangu said Isidorou was one of the “key architects” of the B.C. Conservatives’ revival, noting that the rebuild was a team effort.
“Angelo was right at the centre of it, leading with dedication, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to the cause,” Bhangu said on X.
Federal Conservative MP Aaron Gunn said that without Isidorou, “the Conservative Party of B.C. would not exist.”
“Alongside a few others, he transformed the party from total obscurity to within a hair’s breadth of forming government.”
CBC News reached out to Isidorou, but he declined to comment immediately.
“I am excited for my next chapter, where I will continue fighting back against the radical policies that plague the western world, beyond just B.C.,” Isidorou said in the release.