Three candidates have publicly announced plans to run for MLA in Peace River North as B.C. heads toward its 2026 provincial election.
The candidates announced so far are incumbent Independent MLA Jordan Kealy, Conservative Party of B.C. candidate Curtis Whitford and independent candidate Wayne Bell.
The provincial election is set for Oct. 24, with candidate nominations remaining open until Oct. 3 at 1 p.m. Pacific time. Elections BC notes that its current candidate list only includes nominations that have been formally accepted, meaning the list of publicly announced candidates can be broader until nominations close.
Kealy was first elected in Peace River North in 2024 as a Conservative Party of B.C. candidate. He later left the Conservative caucus and has been sitting as an independent MLA. The Legislative Assembly listed Kealy as an independent member earlier this year.
Kealy announced in September that he would seek another term as an independent candidate.
“This region matters to me, and I’m determined to get it the attention that it deserves,” Kealy said in a Sept. 25 social media post.
The Conservative Party of B.C. announced Curtis Whitford as its Peace River North candidate on Sept. 27.
According to the party, Whitford has spent 36 years working in the energy sector and has longstanding ties to Fort St. John and northeastern B.C.
Wayne Bell, a Peace River North resident, also announced that he had submitted nomination papers on Sept. 25.
Bell said in a local Facebook group that he is running to “highlight the corruption in the political system.”
With the election campaign now underway, candidates have until Oct. 3 to complete the nomination process with Elections BC. Advance voting is scheduled for Oct. 16 to 21, followed by general voting day on Oct. 24.
