The B.C. NDP leads in the polls and also when it comes to collecting cold, hard cash from supporters.
Data from Elections B.C. shows the party of Premier David Eby raised $4.52 million in 2023. B.C. United raised $2.9 million, while the Conservative Party of B.C. raised just under $444,000.
The B.C. Greens failed to file the necessary paperwork by April 2, but can file it until July 2 with a $100 late fee. Unofficial figures based on the quarterly interim reports show the party having raised just under $1.2 million.
The evolution of donations over the course of the year almost serve as a seismograph of political fortunes.
The Conservative Party of B.C. received less than $26,000 in donations during the first four months, when the party registered barely registered in the polls. But by the end of 2023, it was polling at 26 per cent in an Abacus Data poll, and had also opened up the wallets of donors.
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While the party raised just under $66,000 in the second quarter and just over $52,500 in the third quarter, it raised almost $300,000 in the final three months of 2023.
The New Democrats, meanwhile, had their weakest fundraising period in the first three months of 2023 with just under $757,000 with B.C. United at just over $630,000.
Since then, the NDP has outpaced the largest opposition party by a growing margin. In the second quarter of 2023, the difference between the two largest parties in the legislature was just under $255,000, in the third quarter just under $469,000 and just under $718,000 in the fourth quarter.
B.C. United’s strongest fundraising quarter was in the final three months with almost $1.18 million.
Like the Conservatives, B.C. Greens had their strongest fundraising period in the final three months of 2023 with just under $536,000.
Fifteen parties were required to fill financial disclosure forms.