Panicked by collapsing polls, abrupt resignations and dwindling donors, BC United is seeking a reset of its election campaign in the form of a new campaign manager.
The party announced Mark Werner as its top election official on Thursday — sort of. The news leaked out to reporters first, and United, as usual, appeared hopelessly caught off guard.
Werner ran departing Skeena MLA Ellis Ross’ 2021 BC Liberal leadership campaign. But before the party could even begin to explain the decision, its enemies struck.
The BC NDP, responding to images of Werner wearing a Donald Trump hat shared by CKNW host Jas Johal, launched a co-ordinated social media attack on United.
“Kevin Falcon just hired a strongly pro-Trump campaign manager, continuing his hard right shift that completely abandons average British Columbians,” NDP MLA Ravi Parmar posted on social media.
“The first reboot was bad. The second is so much more worse. Deeply troubling to see Kevin Falcon and BC United restart their campaign by hiring a far-right pro Trump organizer,” said Environment Minister George Heyman.
So much for United being able to use the appointment as positive momentum showcasing a shift in campaign direction. Instead, it immediately got outflanked, outmanoeuvred and outplayed on its own staffing change.
That kerfuffle had barely settled before the other shoe dropped, the departure of Vancouver-Langara MLA Michael Lee to a privacy company in the artificial intelligence sector.
In this, at least, United was more prepared. The party had a successor to announce immediately. And it was able to post a video of Falcon and Lee explaining the decision, while also endorsing the new candidate, Jaime Stein.
Still, it’s the latest big loss, in a string of big losses, for United, dating back as far as the defections of MLAs Elenore Sturko and Lorne Doerkson to the Conservatives in June. New fundraising numbers show the party barely raised half the $1.1 million the BC Conservatives did in the second financial quarter. And as little as half of the 24-member caucus is running again.
Mainstreet Research poured salt in the wound Thursday by dropping another political poll that highlighted how far United has fallen.
While the NDP and Conservatives are tied at 37 per cent support amongst decided voters, United has fallen to 10 per cent and last place, two points below the BC Greens.
Speaking of the Greens, they are undergoing a soft campaign reboot of their own.
The party is also looking for a new campaign director, as outgoing MLA Adam Olsen looks to refocus the campaign under his new role as campaign chairman.
“I think that we have had a pause and a reflection and making sure that what we're doing is aligned with what our intended goals and outcomes are, and getting a stronger Green presence in the chamber at the end of the election,” he said.
That includes trying to rapidly accelerate the slate of 18 Green candidates into a full provincial campaign, launching a new appeal for fresh candidates, and bolstering fundraising.
“You’re always trying to achieve giving everybody in British Columbia a Green candidate,” said Olsen.
The Greens, though, have something United fails to possess: Internal goodwill.
Whereas Werner is proving to be a decisive choice amongst United members, Olsen is beloved amongst Greens. He inspires loyalty and hard work. Everyone seems happy he’s willing to take on the election job.
Which makes the Greens’ campaign refresh much more likely to succeed than United’s.
Rob Shaw has spent more than 15 years covering B.C. politics, now reporting for CHEK News and writing for Glacier Media. He is the co-author of the national bestselling book A Matter of Confidence, host of the weekly podcast Political Capital, and a regular guest on CBC Radio.
