Update:
Sheldon Clare, who has been the BC Conservative candidate in Prince George-North Cariboo since October told the Observer he is "100 per cent" confident he will remain the candidate for that party.
"I am saddened to see what has happened to some of my opponents," Clare said of the BC United candidates and incumbents who have been left without a party after its leader Kevin Falcon announced the party would end its campaign. "Coralee has served (the) constituency fairly well for a long period of time and I was disappointed, I was looking forward to engaging with her."
When asked if he was worried about the possibility of Oakes running as an independent, Clare said "not in the slightest."
Oakes has not yet provided The Observer with comment about her political future.
Original:
The future of who will carry the BC Conservative banner into the next election for the Prince George-North Cariboo riding is unclear.
The leader of BC United, Kevin Falcon, announced Wednesday (Aug. 28) his party would dissolve and some BC United candidates would run with the BC Conservatives. It is unclear what will happen in ridings where there is a BC United incumbent and BC Conservative candidate campaigning.
Coralee Oakes was elected as a BC Liberal in 2013 and served as a cabinet minister under Christy Clark. She's been slated to stick with her party through its name change to BC United and run as their candidate in the riding.
Sheldon Clare was announced as the BC Conservative candidate in October, he has been an educator at the College of New Caledonia and was president of the Canadian National Firearms Association.
Neither the NDP nor the Green Party have announced candidates in the riding.
The Observer has reached out to both Clare and Oakes for comment.
More to come...
