Kamloops-South Thompson MLA Todd Stone announced his decision not to run in the 2024 election on Aug. 29, 2024, a day after his party's withdrawal.

(LEVI LANDRY / iNFOnews.ca)

Kamloops MLA Todd Stone announced a day after his party dropped from the provincial election race that won't be running.

Stone said he wasn't privy to conversations with BC United leader Kevin Falcon in the lead up to Wednesday's announcement, but added he made the decision a day earlier.

"Earlier this week, I made the difficult decision that what I could do for our coalition was withdraw my candidacy in this next election," he said at press conference today, Aug. 29. "I let Kevin Falcon know of my intentions on Tuesday morning."

The decision came after discussions with his wife, but he waited until the day after Falcon announced that BC United were planning a merger under the BC Conservative banner. John Rustad will carry on as leader of the party.

Stone endorsed BC Conservative candidate, and Barriere Mayor, Ward Stamer, as the candidate in the Kamloops-North Thompson riding.

He denied he made his decision because of talks to merge the two right-leaning parties. He also said Falcon's leadership was backed until the end by the BC United party, and he only learned the "actual details" of Falcon's announcement today.

First elected in 2013 under the leadership of Christy Clark, Stone has served as Transportation Minister and more recently as house leader for the party formerly known as the BC Liberals. He sits as MLA for the Kamloops-South Thompson riding, but planned to seek re-election in the Kamloops-North Thompson this year.

Despite Stone's support for Stamer, and suggestion that the conservative candidates are under "one big tent," he hasn't change his mind on Rustad's stances he disagrees with. He acknowledged centre-right voters may feel alienated by the BC Conservative's positions on issues like climate change and LGBTQ+ issues.

"I put the onus more on John Rustad and the BC Conservatives. They would be ill-advised to take the developments of this week as a lock, stock and barrel guarantee of a victory in the upcoming election," Stone said.

He expects compromises between the two parties as candidates originally chosen by the BC Conservatives who might be more "extreme" will be dropped and replaced by those from BC United.

Fellow Kamloops MLA Peter Milobar was not present at Stone's announcement and it's not clear whether he intends to remain a candidate.

BC election day is Oct. 19.

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