B.C. minister Popham won’t run for a sixth term, deepening snap election speculation

Victoria - Provincial cabinet minister Lana Popham has announced she will not seek a sixth term in office, intensifying speculation of an imminent snap election. Popham, a member of the BC NDP, made the announcement on Monday, following Opposition Conservative leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay's resignation on Sunday.

Popham, currently the province's agriculture minister, expressed that her decision was difficult, as she was first elected in 2009 and served as the province's first female agriculture minister in 2017. She remains the longest-serving agriculture minister in BC history and previously held the positions of minister of tourism, arts, culture and sport for two years.

In a statement provided by the BC NDP caucus, Popham noted her plans to continue engaging in causes that have defined her career, including farming, food security and the future of the Agricultural Land Reserve. She emphasized that she leaves elected office as a public figure with a purpose.