Esquimalt-Colwood: candidates in the 2026 BC election

4 candidates are on the ballot in Esquimalt-Colwood for the provincial election on Saturday, October 24, 2026. They are listed by last name.

Answer 16 short questions to see which party, and which of these candidates, is closest to your views. Available in 9 languages.

Candidates

Sidney Coles
BC Greens
Journalist and communications professional, former public servant. Reported for Capital Daily and worked for Doctors Without Borders and the Gitanyow Hereditary Chiefs.
Sources: Elections BC candidate list (2026), CHEK News: All Vancouver Island candidates for the 2026 B.C. election
Dave Johnston
BC Conservatives
Canadian Ranger for about two decades and Red Seal electrician. Founded the nonprofit The North Matters.
Sources: Elections BC candidate list (2026), CHEK News: All Vancouver Island candidates for the 2026 B.C. election
Darlene RotchfordIncumbent
BC NDP
MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood since 2024. Former Esquimalt councillor, past president of the Victoria Labour Council, 18 years in mental health and addictions work.
Sources: Elections BC candidate list (2026), CHEK News: All Vancouver Island candidates for the 2026 B.C. election
Sid Tobias
CentreBC
Canadian Armed Forces veteran with 25 years of service and over a decade in the B.C. Public Service. View Royal mayor since 2022.
Sources: Elections BC candidate list (2026), CHEK News: All Vancouver Island candidates for the 2026 B.C. election

Candidate list from Elections BC, as of October 18, 2026.

Esquimalt-Colwood takes in Colwood, View Royal, Esquimalt, Victoria West, Royal Roads area.

In 2024, Darlene Rotchford (BC NDP) won here by 6,586 votes, 22.3 points.

Everyone answers 13 province-wide questions. Voters in Vancouver Island and the Coast also get these 3:

BC Ferries has cancelled sailings, long waits, rising demand and a dispute over where ships are built. What should come first?
The Crofton pulp mill has closed, and old-growth logging is still argued over on the Island. What should be done with Island forests?
Nanaimo's hospital tower and cardiac lab are funded for planning, not construction, and a Campbell River care home was paused. What should come first?

Voting day: Saturday, October 24, 2026, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Pacific time.
Advance voting: Friday October 16 to Wednesday October 21, 2026, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time. Not every location is open every day; check yours.
Where: Find advance and election-day locations with the voting-place lookup on elections.bc.ca. District electoral offices also take voters until 4 p.m. on October 24. The October 17 municipal election is a separate vote with its own locations.
Who can vote: Canadian citizen, 18 or older on October 24, 2026, and a BC resident since April 23, 2026.
By mail: Request a vote-by-mail package online or by phone (1-800-661-8683) by October 18. Elections BC must receive it by 8 p.m. Pacific time on October 24 for it to be counted. If you are not registered or your voter information is out of date, prove your identity and address by uploading ID to Elections BC's ID upload system or by including photocopies of your ID with the returned package.