Kelowna Centre was one of the closest races in the BC in the last provincial election, and the same two candidates are getting a do-over.

Outgoing two-term Kelowna city councillor Loyal Wooldridge is back again to run for the BC NDP against BC Conservative incumbent and first time MLA Kristina Loewen.

The BC NDP have never won in Kelowna, but Wooldridge made a strong showing against Loewen in the last election in 2024.

In 2024, Loewen received 11,033 votes and Wooldridge received 10,993, or 42.88 per cent to 42.69 per cent of the vote respectively. It was one of the closest races in the province.

The race two years ago was controversial because most BC Conservative candidates avoided public events like all-candidate forums, including Loewen who avoided the forum for Kelowna Centre while Wooldridge attended.

“I remain committed to attending the forums and debates as they come forward, as I did in the last election,” Wooldridge told iNFOnews.ca. “Anyone that’s running for office, I believe, should be able to stand in front of the public and share their vision for the community.”

Loewen said she plans on attending the all-candidate forum this time around.

“Last time I was absolutely brand new and I think it was just a lot going on and really overwhelming. I was knocking on doors like 24/7 meeting the people who could actually vote for me. So that’s why I didn’t go last time,” she told iNFOnews.ca

The BC NDP’s snap election call during a municipal election campaign has been unpopular with many voters, but the BC Conservatives have been in disarray over the past few months. Last time around the BC Conservatives were the underdogs with a groundswell of support and a roster with numerous rookies like Loewen.

It’s round two for these candidates and the context is much different this time, but Loewen said she wasn’t surprised to see Wooldridge step up again.

“He’s a good candidate for them, as opposed to some of their paper candidates,” she said. “Anything’s possible.”

Over the weekend, Loewen was seen campaigning with former BC Liberal Premier Christy Clark who held a riding in Kelowna during her time in office and offered Loewen some advice.

“She was great in terms of just listening, offering advice, telling me to lean into my strengths.
I really appreciate the support that she’s been giving our party,” Loewen said.

Kelowna has a significant history for provincial politics.

It’s the home of three premiers, W.A.C. Bennett and Bill Bennett, as well as Clark. Clark often called Kelowna the “cradle of free enterprise.”

The BC NDP have never won a seat in Kelowna so Wooldridge said his win would be significant.

“Overall, I think the party would be very excited,” he said. “We know that the Interior is very different than the Lower Mainland. And by having that embedded voice in the legislature will really allow us to move forward and work across all levels of government.”

Premier David Eby didn’t make an appearance in Kelowna during the 2024 campaign, and Wooldridge didn’t confirm whether or not he’ll show up this time.

“I think a lot of lessons were learned in the last election,” Wooldridge said. “I’m quite confident that the party is definitely listening to the needs of Interior communities in British Columbia.”

Loewen said she isn’t worried at the prospect of the BC NDP putting in more effort in Kelowna for this election.

“The NDP will do what the NDP will do. That’s not my concern. I’m going to run my best race,” she said.