CentreBC leader Elenore Sturko steps aside after party shut out in provincial election

Elenore Sturko is stepping down as leader of CentreBC after less than two months in the role and is leaving partisan politics.

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

Sturko lost the Surrey South riding to Conservative Megan Knight in the Oct. 24 provincial election, earning less than 10 per cent of the vote.

The former RCMP officer was first elected to the B.C. legislature for Surrey South in a 2022 byelection as a member of the B.C. Liberals, which later rebranded as B.C. United.

Sturko crossed the floor to the B.C. Conservatives in 2024 and was elected MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale in that year’s provincial election..

In September 2025, Sturko said she was blindsided by then-Conservative leader John Rustad’s decision to eject her from the caucus. She said Rustad questioned her support for his leadership.

Sturko sat as an Independent until she joined CentreBC in September, along with a coalition of other former Conservative MLAs who had left the party over frustrations with new leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay.

Peter Milobar was initially declared CentreBC leader, taking over from Mike Bernier. But Milobar and several other MLAs fled back to the Conservatives after Findlay resigned and as David Eby announced a snap election.

CentreBC declared Sturko would take on the leadership role.

The party failed to win any seats in this fall’s election and earned just 1.6 per cent of the vote share.

In a social media post, the party thanked Sturko for her leadership and contributions to the party. It did not immediately say who would succeed her as leader.