Bruce Banman
Canadian politician
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Richard Bruce Banman MLA is a Canadian politician who has served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia (MLA) representing the electoral district of Abbotsford South since 2020. He was elected as a member of the BC Liberal Party (later renamed BC United), then crossed the floor to join the Conservative Party in 2023. Prior to provincial politics, he served as the mayor of Abbotsford from 2011 to 2014, and an Abbotsford city councillor from 2018 to 2021.
Trevor Halford (interim)
Bruce Banman | |
|---|---|
Banman in 2026 | |
| Caucus whip of the Conservative Party of British Columbia | |
| Assumed office November 20, 2024 | |
| Leader | John Rustad Trevor Halford (interim) |
| Preceded by | Vacant |
| Member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly for Abbotsford South | |
| Assumed office October 24, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Darryl Plecas |
| Abbotsford City Councillor | |
| In office 2018–2021 | |
| Mayor of Abbotsford | |
| In office 2011–2014 | |
| Preceded by | George Peary |
| Succeeded by | Henry Braun |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Richard Bruce Banman |
| Party | BC Conservative (2023–present) |
| Other political affiliations | BC United (2020–2023) |
| Occupation | Politician, Chiropractor |
Early life and career
Raised in Chilliwack, Banman moved to Abbotsford in the early 1980s.[1][2] He attended Fraser Valley College[3] before transferring to the Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon.[4] He graduated in 1997,[5] then worked as a chiropractor and small business owner in Abbotsford.[1][6] He is married with two children.[4]
Political career
Abbotsford municipal politics
Banman was elected mayor of Abbotsford in 2011, defeating incumbent mayor George Peary.[7] He ran for re-election in 2014, but was defeated by Henry Braun by fewer than 600 votes.[8] He returned to municipal politics in 2018 by winning a seat on the Abbotsford City Council, receiving the second-highest number of votes among the candidates.[9][10] Throughout his career he advocated for agricultural sustainability and the protection of farming heritage.[6]
BC United/Liberals
Banman announced in May 2019 his intention to seek the BC Liberal nomination for the riding of Abbotsford South in the next provincial election;[11] he defeated two others to secure the nomination in February 2020.[12] He was subsequently elected in the October 2020 general election, defeating Inder Johal of the New Democratic Party by over 2,000 votes,[13] and resigned as councillor in February 2021.[14] He served in the shadow cabinet as critic for emergency management, climate readiness and citizens' services.[15]
Conservative Party of BC
On September 13, 2023, Banman crossed the floor to join the Conservative Party, becoming the party's second MLA in the legislature;[16] he justified his move as allowing him to better represent his constituents. His crossing gave the Conservatives official party status in the legislature, and he was named the caucus house leader.[17]
He was re-elected as a Conservative in the 2024 provincial election, garnering 62% of the vote [18][19] and was named party whip by Conservative leader John Rustad that November.[20]
Electoral record
| 2024 British Columbia general election: Abbotsford South | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Conservative | Bruce Banman | 13,053 | 61.61 | +59.2 | $38,201.55 | |||
| New Democratic | Sarah Kooner | 7,454 | 35.18 | +1.0 | $11,353.64 | |||
| Independent | Amandeep Singh | 681 | 3.21 | – | $1,680.00 | |||
| Total valid votes/expense limit | 21,188 | 99.75 | – | $71,700.08 | ||||
| Total rejected ballots | 54 | 0.25 | – | |||||
| Turnout | 21,242 | 51.72 | – | |||||
| Registered voters | 41,068 | |||||||
| Conservative notional gain from BC United | Swing | N/A[n 1] | ||||||
| Source: Elections BC[21][22] | ||||||||
- Swing cannot be calculated as BC United did not run a candidate in this riding.
| 2020 British Columbia general election: Abbotsford South | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures | |||
| Liberal | Bruce Banman | 9,730 | 44.69 | −7.79 | $44,289.90 | |||
| New Democratic | Inder Johal | 7,706 | 35.39 | +7.30 | $729.55 | |||
| Green | Arid Flavelle | 2,617 | 12.02 | −2.98 | $1,251.04 | |||
| Christian Heritage | Laura-Lynn Thompson | 1,720 | 7.90 | +3.67 | $0.00 | |||
| Total valid votes | 21,773 | 100.00 | – | |||||
| Total rejected ballots | 210 | 0.96 | +0.18 | |||||
| Turnout | 21,983 | 48.46 | −6.25 | |||||
| Registered voters | 45,365 | |||||||
| Liberal gain from Independent | Swing | −7.55 | ||||||
| Source: Elections BC [23] [24] | ||||||||