Findlay campaign manager resigns, defects to rival Caroline Elliott’s team

VANCOUVER — The campaign manager for former federal cabinet minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay has quit and thrown his support behind rival candidate Caroline Elliott, shaking up an already tight and unpredictable B.C. Conservative leadership race..David Denhoff, president of the Conservative Electors Association and a former deputy director of the provincial party, announced the move late Tuesday on X.In a detailed post that has already drawn sharp and polarized reactions from party insiders and BC politics commentators, Denhoff said Findlay’s campaign “does not have the capacity required to win the leadership race and defeat the NDP.”“This race is too important for anything less than a winning effort,” he wrote. “British Columbia needs a leader who can actually defeat the NDP and who understands the importance of a full repeal of DRIPA, and that’s Caroline Elliott.”Denhoff’s sudden switch from one campaign to another is being treated as significant.The political strategist’s Conservative Electors Association — a municipal political party not officially associated with the provincial nor federal Conservative parties — has swelled in membership since it was founded last summer..Findlay, a former Harper-era minister of national revenue and public safety, entered the race in February with strong name recognition and early grassroots momentum.Elliott, a Simon Fraser University PhD and former B.C. Liberal consultant, released a full campaign platform Tuesday and is considered a top contender alongside B.C. Conservative MLA Peter Milobar, based on a Mainstreet Research survey commissioned by Milobar.In his post, Denhoff took direct aim at the Kamloops-area MLA and former mayor, accusing him of a last-minute reversal on DRIPA after previously supporting it.“Peter Milobar was a major proponent of DRIPA and a hardcore reconciliation warrior until five minutes ago,” Denhoff wrote. “Conservatives shouldn’t be fooled by last-minute DRIPA reversals.”Despite the apparent setback, Findlay entered the race with significant momentum. An ERG National Research poll released in mid-February showed her commanding a substantial lead among those considering a BC Conservative membership, capturing 44 per cent first-choice support — more than double Caroline Elliott’s 19.5 per cent.

Findlay campaign manager resigns, defects to rival Caroline Elliott’s team

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