A new Conservative push in BC’s local elections is several weeks out from announcing a slate of candidates in Kamloops and Kelowna.

A former BC Conservative Party staffer launched the elector organization last year as the province heads toward 2026 local elections. There have been no candidates announced for cities outside Metro Vancouver so far, but party president David Denhoff told iNFOnews.ca names will be coming.

“We’ll be running candidates in Kamloops,” he said, with announcements coming this summer.

It’s expected there will be mayoral and councillor candidates on the slate with the party expected to focus on lowering taxes and addressing public safety, Denhoff said.

Though party politics are not common or typically successful in BC’s local governments, the association is casting a wide net for candidates in cities across the province, which may test their viability among municipal voters.

Denhoff didn’t say whether any candidates are expected for Vernon or Penticton. He did mention Kelowna should see Conservatives eyeing city councillor positions, but don’t expect a mayoral candidate on the slate this time around.

Instead, he threw the elector association’s support behind current city councillor Ron Cannan’s mayoral run.

“We’re in regular contact with Ron. We fully support Ron, and he is the former Conservative MP in the area so it’s very well known that he is conservative,” Denhoff said, adding that the association’s goals include getting “small ‘c’ conservatives” elected.

Speaking with iNFOnews.ca, Cannan confirmed he’s running independently and not with the elector association, but he also said he hasn’t been in contact with Denhoff for months.

“He called me last September, but I’ve never met him. He mentioned to me that he was putting this slate together and asked if I’d like to be part of it,” Cannan said. “I said no.

“I said that’s one of the things I like about local government, there’s no party politics… It’s not left or right, it’s about what’s best for the community.”

Cannan has a lengthy political history in Kelowna. He first sat as a city councillor from 1996 to 2005, then spent another nine years as the Conservatives MP for Kelowna-Lake Country before taking a hiatus from politics.

After a 2022 return as a city councillor, he’s stepping into the race for mayor.

Though he had no interest in joining another political party, he welcomed Denhoff’s endorsement.

“I definitely appreciate it,” he said. “I can’t control who supports me, but I’m grateful for the support.”

Mayor Tom Dyas is serving his first term and has not officially announced his intentions for 2026.

In Kamloops, incumbent Mayor Reid Hamer-Jackson is expected to face current city councillor Mike O’Reilly and former councillor Nelly Dever in the mayoral campaign. Other than Katie Neustaeter, every other councillor has announced their plans to run for re-election.

Dever’s campaign includes three other council candidates on the Pivot Kamloops slate, while more than a dozen people have announced plans to join the race for a council seat.