New Westminster-Coquitlam: candidates in the 2026 BC election

4 candidates are on the ballot in New Westminster-Coquitlam 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.

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Candidates

Maureen Curran
BC Greens
Science and math teacher in Coquitlam for 25 years; New Westminster resident; helped found the Climate Safe Cities Coalition; Green candidate in this riding in 2024.
Sources: BC Greens candidate page, BC Ballot riding page
Michele Lau
BC Conservatives
Financial services executive and entrepreneur with over 20 years in banking and corporate finance; co-founder of World Trade Centre Okanagan; Vancouver College Parent Association board member.
Sources: BC Conservatives candidate page, BC Ballot riding page
Gerry Lenoski
Unaffiliated on the ballot; withdrew Oct 13
Withdrew as a candidate on October 13; Elections BC says the name stays on the ballot because ballots were already printed, and voters will be told at voting places.
Sources: Elections BC: 2026 candidates update, two withdrawals (Oct 14, 2026), Elections BC 2026 candidate list (page)
Jennifer WhitesideIncumbent
BC NDP
MLA since 2020 and Minister of Labour since November 2024; former Education and Mental Health and Addictions minister; former chief spokesperson and lead negotiator for the Hospital Employees' Union; born and raised in New Westminster.
Sources: BC Government: Minister Jennifer Whiteside biography

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

About the riding

New Westminster-Coquitlam takes in New Westminster (Brunette Creek, Queens Park, Sapperton, Mayfair/Pacific Reach) and Cariboo/Burquitlam in Coquitlam.

In 2024, Jennifer Whiteside (BC NDP) won here by 6,319 votes, 29.3 points.

Questions for Metro Vancouver

Everyone answers 13 province-wide questions. Voters in Metro Vancouver also get these 3:

TransLink says it needs at least $112 million a year in new money from 2028. What should the province do about transit in Metro Vancouver?
A 2025 ruling recognized Cowichan title over Richmond land with private homes. How should the province handle homeowners and title claims?
Sixteen Metro Vancouver mayors want the 2023 density laws undone. Keep the rules, add to them, or give councils back the say?

How and when to vote

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.

From Elections BC: ways to vote, vote by mail, 2026 provincial election key dates, who can vote, voter ID, Elections BC home.

New Westminster-Coquitlam: candidates in the 2026 BC election

Candidates

Maureen Curran

Michele Lau

Gerry Lenoski

Jennifer WhitesideIncumbent

About the riding

Questions for Metro Vancouver

How and when to vote

Other ridings in Metro Vancouver