SOUTH SURREY — Elenore Sturko is stepping down as leader of CentreBC, about one month after losing her seat in the British Columbia legislature.

The party says in a news release that she will be “moving on from partisan politics to pursue new opportunities.”

The former RCMP officer, who was defeated by B.C. Conservative Megan Knight last month, was previously elected to the Surrey South riding in 2022 as a B.C. Liberal before joining the Conservatives in 2024 and winning in nearby Surrey-Cloverdale that year.

But Sturko was ejected from the Conservatives by former party leader John Rustad, who cited the need for caucus unity, and sat as an Independent before announcing in September that she was joining CentreBC, along with seven other Conservative defectors.

All except Sturko went back to the Conservatives just days later, after Kerry-Lynne Findlay quit as leader and was replaced by interim leader Lorne Doerkson ahead of the provincial election.

Sturko stayed on and became leader of CentreBC, which she has described as socially progressive and fiscally responsible.

In Friday’s news release, Sturko thanked CentreBC members, candidates, volunteers and supporters who shared her “vision and worked to build a new political alternative in British Columbia.” She also thanked her family for their support during her time in public office.

“Serving British Columbians has been an extraordinary privilege and I remain deeply committed to public service,” she says in the release. “However, I believe my next chapter is best pursued outside partisan politics.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2026.