The Juan de Fuca-Malahat electoral district comprises the southern tip of Vancouver Island, including the communities of Sooke, Metchosin, Malahat, Shawnigan Lake, Cobble Hill and Mill Bay and extending as far west as Port Renfrew.
Since 1991, when the riding was established, it has been predominantly held by the BC NDP except for between 2001 and 2005 when a Liberal candidate won the seat.
Juan de Fuca-Malahat was dissolved into the Juan De Fuca and Cowichan Valley ridings in 2009 before being re-created in 2024.
In 2024, Dana Lajeunesse won the riding for the BC NDP and hopes to win the seat again during this upcoming election.
Here are the candidates running to be the next MLA of the Juan de Fuca-Malahat electoral district.
Dana Lajeunesse – BC NDP (incumbent)
After being elected in 2024, Lajeunesse served as parliamentary secretary for accessibility, and worked to advance accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities across BC.
He is a longtime resident of Sooke after growing up in Jordan River. He worked in the forestry industry until he was impacted by a life-altering injury at work.
Because he was unable to continue working in forestry, Lajeunesse went back to school and earned a degree from Camosun College in mechanical engineering technology.
He then went on to work in the industry for twenty four years, served on the mayor’s advisory panel for economic development and Sooke Region Chamber’s board of directors.
Lajeunesse had experience in local politics before running to become an MLA. He was elected to the District of Sooke council in 2019, and re-elected in 2022.
He has only run provincially once before, in 2024, and won.
Find information on the BC NDP’s platform here.
David Evans – BC Green Party
Evans was born and raised on Vancouver Island and has had a career in broadcasting, writing, community service and entrepreneurship.
In his earlier career, he worked in radio in Vancouver, freelanced for magazines and served as distribution supervisor at the Vancouver Food Bank.
For the majority of the past four decades, Evans has been self-employed as founder of Victoria’s first zero-impact landscaping company and later built a successful community hub, café and bakery that employed up to 20 people across three locations before its operations were transferred to a community co-operative in 2023.
He still operates a retail and wholesale coffee roasting business in Sooke.
Evans is concerned about rising inequality, the loss of well-paying jobs and the long-term sustainability of BC’s resources.
He ran previously as a BC Green candidate in the 2024 provincial election, but lost.
Find information on the BC Greens’ platform here.
Mike Hicks – Conservative Party of BC
Hicks has called this region his home for 28 years.
He is a graduate of BCIT’s hotel management program, and his career has included forestry, tourism, hospitality and the recreational fishing industry.
Hicks has managed resorts and owned and operated fishing lodges in coastal communities including Hakai Pass, Sointula, Bamfield and Port Renfrew.
Currently, he and his wife operate the Arbutus Cove Guesthouse in Sooke.
For 13 years, he served as the elected Capital Regional District director for the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area.
His priorities include making life more affordable, strengthening public safety and ensuring the government is accountable to the people it serves.
Hicks recently came under fire for comments his opponents deemed to be insensitive and racist.
At an all-candidates debate in Mill Bay, Hicks reportedly said to the crowd “The First Nations have to be conquered.”
Further, when the moderator called time, Hicks added “In law, we have to conquer or sign a treaty with the First Nations.”
Instead of issuing an apology, Hicks issued a statement on social media in which he said the remarks were taken out of context.
This marks the first election Hicks is running for a seat in the legislative assembly.
Find information on the BC Conservatives’ platform here.
Jeff Brown – Christian Heritage Party of BC
Brown has had a career in managing medium-sized businesses, including serving as CEO of PL&B Insurance and American Marine Insurance.
He is also a chartered professional accountant (CPA) and certified risk manager.
In terms of community service, Brown founded Sun Safe Water, a charity dedicated to providing safe drinking water, managing medical projects for African villages and assisting vulnerable populations in Vancouver’s downtown east side.
He is one of just three Christian Heritage BC candidates who are running on a platform that focuses on socially conservative and traditional family values, fiscal conservatism and aligning governance with Christian moral principles.
His party has faced heavy criticism for their alleged anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and policy stances, particularly their opposition to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) programs.
For more information on the Christian Heritage Party of BC’s platform here.
Shane Friesen – OneBC
Friesen is a longtime resident of Cobble Hill and works as a skilled trades professional.
Shane has previously served on the federal board of directors for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford and Juan de Fuca-Malahat.
His and OneBC’s priorities are reportedly to lower taxes, defend families, reform democracy and preserve the environment.
However, the party has also faced widespread controversy, impacting Indigenous communities across Canada. OneBC Leader Dallas Brodie faced condemnation when she posed with a “Zero Bodies” sign in reference to the Kamloops residential school site.
She has also called residential school death counts “the greatest lie in Canadian history,” and still stands by her comments.
Friesen is running as a candidate in this riding for the first time this election.
Find information on OneBC’s platform here.
Voting information
Advance voting will take place from October 16th to 21st, with voting places open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time.
Final Voting Day is Saturday, October 24th, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voters can confirm their electoral district and find voting locations through Elections BC.
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