BC Green House Leader Adam Olsen won’t run in fall election

One of the two Green Party members in British Columbia’s Legislature has announced he will not seek re-election in this fall’s provincial vote.

Adam Olsen, who represents Saanich North and the Islands and serves as the party’s house leader, said in a statement that he is stepping down because “it’s the responsible and ethical thing” to do when he cannot “commit fully to the job for the next four years.”

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Olsen’s departure will leave Greens Leader and Cowichan Valley MLA Sonia Furstenau as the party’s only legislative member who will be defending a seat this fall.

Olsen won his seat in 2017 then strengthened the Greens’ hold by taking more than half of the district’s votes in 2020.

In his statement, Olsen said his own mental and physical well-being, as well as his children going through major milestones in education, contributed to his decision to step down.

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The statement said Olsen will be the B.C. Green Party’s new campaign chairman.

Olsen was the B.C. Greens’ interim leader twice, from 2013 to 2015 and again before Furstenau was elected in 2020.

The party has not announced its candidate in Saanich North and the Islands.