# Bruce Banman

Richard Bruce Banman is a Canadian politician in the province of British Columbia, currently serving as the member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the electoral district of Abbotsford South. First elected in the 2020 British Columbia general election as a member of the BC Liberal Party (later renamed BC United), he crossed the floor to join the Conservative Party on September 13, 2023. Prior to his election to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, he was the mayor of Abbotsford from 2011 to 2014, and an Abbotsford city councillor from 2018 to 2021.

## Biography

Raised in Chilliwack, Banman moved to Abbotsford in the early 1980s. He attended Fraser Valley College before transferring to the Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon. He graduated in 1997, then worked as a chiropractor in Abbotsford. He is married with two children.
Banman was elected mayor of Abbotsford in 2011, defeating incumbent mayor George Peary. He ran for re-election in 2014, but was defeated by Henry Braun by fewer than 600 votes. 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.
Banman announced in May 2019 his intention to seek the BC Liberal nomination for the riding of Abbotsford South in the next provincial election; he defeated two others to secure the nomination in February 2020. He was subsequently elected in the October 2020 general election, defeating Inder Johal of the New Democratic Party by over 2,000 votes, and resigned as councillor in February 2021. He served in the shadow cabinet as critic for emergency management, climate readiness and citizens' services.
On September 13, 2023, Banman crossed the floor to join the Conservative Party, becoming the party's second MLA in the legislature; 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.
He was re-elected as a Conservative in the 2024 provincial election, and was named party whip by Conservative leader John Rustad that November.

## Electoral record

vte2024 British Columbia general election: Abbotsford South :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | Expenditures |
| | Conservative | Bruce Banman | 13,053 | 61.61 | +16.92 | |
| | New Democratic | Sarah Kooner | 7,454 | 35.18 | –0.21 | |
| | Independent | Amandeep Singh | 681 | 3.21 | – | |
| Total valid votes/expenses limit | Total valid votes/expenses limit | Total valid votes/expenses limit | 21,188 | 100.00 | – | $71,700.08 |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal | Conservative gain from Liberal | Swing | Swing | +30.91 |
| Source: Elections BC |||||||
vte2020 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 | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 21,773 | 100.00 | – |
| Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | Total rejected ballots | 210 | 0.96 | +0.18 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 21,983 | 48.46 | −6.25 |
| Registered voters | Registered voters | Registered voters | 45,365 |
| Source: Elections BC |||||||