# Elenore Sturko

Elenore Sturko is a Canadian politician who currently serves as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia. First elected in a 2022 by-election in Surrey South as a member of the BC Liberal Party (later renamed BC United), she crossed the floor to join the BC Conservatives in June 2024, and was elected in Surrey-Cloverdale in that year's provincial election.

## Biography

Sturko graduated from Kamloops Senior Secondary, then entered the broadcasting industry by joining CFJC-TV in Kamloops. She became a reservist with the Canadian Forces Air Command in 2007, serving with the Yellowknife-based 440 Transport Squadron. She then joined the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 2009, eventually attaining the rank of staff sergeant. Stationed in Surrey since 2018, she became a spokesperson for the Surrey RCMP. She and her wife Melissa have three children.
Following Stephanie Cadieux's resignation as Surrey South MLA, Sturko was approached by BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon to run as the party's candidate, and was elected to the legislature in the September 2022 by-election. She was named the official opposition education critic that October, and became shadow minister for Mental Health, Addiction, Recovery and Education that December.
On June 3, 2024, she announced her decision to leave BC United and sit in the legislature as a Conservative, becoming the party's fourth MLA. She contested the electoral district of Surrey-Cloverdale in that October's provincial election, defeating the incumbent New Democratic Party candidate Mike Starchuk to become that riding's MLA. She was named to Conservative leader John Rustad's shadow cabinet that November, serving as critic for Solicitor General and Public Safety.

## Electoral record

vte2024 British Columbia general election: Surrey-Cloverdale :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Elenore Sturko | 10,268 | 48.3% |
| | New Democratic | Mike Starchuk* | 9,681 | 45.6% |
| | Green | Pat McCutcheon | 1,150 | 5.4% |
| | Freedom | Judy Meilleur | 153 | 0.7% |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 21,252 | – |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | |
| Source: Elections BC |||||||
vteBritish Columbia provincial by-election, September 10, 2022: Surrey South :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Liberal | Elenore Sturko | 5,568 | 51.83 | +4.48 | $71,826.15 |
| | New Democratic | Pauline Greaves | 3,221 | 29.98 | –13.08 | $58,814.93 |
| | Conservative | Harman Bhangu | 1,364 | 12.70 | — | $38,150.18 |
| | Green | Simran Sarai | 368 | 3.43 | –6.15 | $5,252.57 |
| | Libertarian | Jason Bax | 221 | 2.06 | — | $640.83 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 10,742 | 99.87 | — |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 14 | 0.13 | –1.23 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,756 | 19.8 | –32.94 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 54,363 |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | Swing | +8.78 |
| Source: Elections BC |||||||