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The B.C. Conservative MLA for Abbotsford-Mission has announced she will be stepping down, and Conservative Leader Kerry-Lynne Findlay says she plans to seek the vacant seat in a byelection.
Reann Gasper, the B.C. Conservatives’ deputy whip, said in a joint statement with Findlay on Saturday that the decision was made carefully.
“I believe it is the right decision for me, for our party, and for the work ahead,” said Gasper.
“It has been a privilege to represent the people of Abbotsford-Mission, and I am deeply grateful to everyone who placed their trust in me.”
Gasper, a licensed real estate agent and first-time MLA, was elected in 2024.
Findlay won the B.C. Conservative leadership race in May. She does not currently hold a seat in the legislature.
Gasper said she has confidence in Findlay’s ability to to represent her riding.
“I believe that giving our leader the opportunity to seek this seat strengthens our team and puts us in a stronger position for the work ahead,” she said in the joint statement.
In a social media post on X, Gasper said the decision was hers to make: “No one asked me to make it.”
Findlay thanked Gasper in the statement.
“Our focus is clear. We need to earn the trust of the people of Abbotsford-Mission, strengthen our team, and build the momentum we need to defeat the NDP and form a strong, common-sense government for British Columbia,” Findlay said.
Gasper will continue to work with the Conservative caucus in the months ahead, according to the release.
She was the first Black woman elected as a B.C. MLA since the 1980s.
Elections B.C. says provincial legislation requires a byelection to be held within six months of the seat becoming vacant in the Legislative Assembly.
