These candidates are running in municipal and B.C. elections: What if they win in both?

Kevin Acton (left) is the B.C. Conservative candidate for Vernon-Lumby and Lisa Phillips (right) is the B.C. Conservative candidate for Vancouver-South Granville. Credit: conservativebc.ca. conservativebc.ca

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At least two candidates are running in both the upcoming provincial and municipal elections, raising the question: What happens if they win in both?

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Lisa Phillips is seeking to represent the B.C. Conservatives in Vancouver-South Granville in the provincial election, and is also running for a city councillor seat in Richmond with the Conservative Richmond party.

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Kevin Acton, the longtime mayor of Lumby, is seeking re-election in the municipal election, and is also running to represent the B.C. Conservatives in the riding of Vernon-Lumby.

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Postmedia reached out to Phillips this week to see if she would talk about running in two races, how she is juggling both campaigns and what she will do if she wins in both.

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“The party has asked candidates to focus on door-knocking during the final days of the campaign,” she replied via text earlier this week. She said she would provide a written response later.

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Her response never came. Instead, the B.C. Conservative party issued a news release Wednesday stating that, if elected, it would introduce legislation to “permanently separate provincial and municipal election calendars” and “bar any provincial vote within 60 days of local elections.”

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“Council candidates, school trustees and first-time mayoral candidates who planned to talk with their neighbours about the issues that matter in their communities are instead being asked which election they are running in, while provincial candidates of every party compete for the same confused voters through the same flood of advertising,” the release states.

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The B.C. Conservative party wasn’t able to confirm whether it had any other candidates, besides Phillips and Acton, running in both elections.

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On the B.C. Conservative website, Phillips says she is “stepping forward … to restore affordability, protect property rights, attract investment and strengthen health care and education.” Her bio mentions how her father, Art Phillips, who was mayor of Vancouver in the 1970s, brought “thoughtful density” to Vancouver.

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On the Conservative Richmond website, Phillips states she is running for a council seat “because the Cowichan decision has raised serious concerns about property rights and the security of land title for Richmond homeowners and businesses.”

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University of B.C. political science lecturer Stewart Prest said it is common for candidates to run for different levels of political office.

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“(But) it’s very rare to see someone do that at exactly the same moment because elections don’t tend to coincide the way that these ones are.”

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Prest said Phillips would have to resign one of the positions if she were to win both. In May 2025, the province passed legislation making it illegal to hold a municipal position and be a member of the legislative assembly.