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

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

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.”

“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.

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

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.

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.”

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

“(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.”

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.

“Presumably, she would keep the seat as an MLA and resign her seat if she were to win as a city councillor,” said Prest. “She would have to be upfront about this with her voters, and you would think she would. It’s probably a good idea to ask her, what her plans would be if she won both. Where is her priority?”

Voters are right to scrutinize how candidates can champion two different sets of issues for two different groups of voters, he said.

“Is it really about the voters at that point, or is it more about her seeking a position?”

Acton, who has been the mayor in Lumby for four terms, told Global News earlier this month that he was already seeking another term as mayor when the snap provincial election was called.

“It’s always been my intention to run Conservative provincially, and so it’s just the way it’s happened,” Acton told Global. “It’s really bad timing. Eby decided to call an election during the municipal elections for the province.”

If he doesn’t win a provincial seat, Acton said he would “love to be the mayor again for another four years.”

Acton told Global he understands why some may see his decision to run in both races as self-serving, but defended it by saying there was only one other person running for mayor in Lumby.

“So if I withdrew, he would just automatically get the seat, and I don’t think that’s fair to the voter.”

Acton said if he wins the provincial election, he would personally cover the cost of a municipal byelection through a donation to the village.