Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream independent wants to be a rural voice in Victoria

After the downfall of BC United in late August, there is no shortage of qualified independent candidates in the Okanagan.

That includes Kevin Kraft, who is running in the newly-formed riding of Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream, but Kraft is a bit different then the rest.

The current vice-chair of the Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) was never part of BC United. He does, however, want to be a voice in Victoria for the rural communities he hopes to represent.

“I’m running purely to represent the communities I grew up in and love, and to represent families and people who are working hard,” he told NowMedia video host Jim Csek in a pre-election discussion.

While he doesn’t slide into the category of independents with ties to BC United, that doesn’t make Kraft the type of unaffiliated candidate that has often been seen in the past.

“Sometimes independents get viewed as far left or far right people with singular issues that they’re trying to drive forward,” Kraft explained.

“There are really people in this election that are in it for the right reasons and looking to provide that opportunity for the residents of their communities to really be heard at a provincial level.”

Kraft says that’s something that hasn’t really existed in British Columbia politics before and believes it could be “a historic moment in the BC legislature.”

It’s no secret to Kraft what the main issues are as people prepare to head to the polls next weekend – Health care, housing, cost of living, crime and safety.

However, his top five priorities are tied to issues that might mean just as much to his more rural constituents in Kelowna-Lake Country-Coldstream.

That includes: Fresh water management, food security and agriculture, wildfire management, the forestry industry and backcountry conservation.

While mainstream issues like short-term rental regulations hit home to Kraft and are important for him, he wants just as much focus to be placed on funding for rural highways, infrastructure, health care and education.

“As a rural rep, it’s troubling to see, from a provincial level, where the funding is going and where people’s dollars are being ported to,” the RDCO vice-chair told Csek.

“It’s an inequitable representation and what it does is create challenges for families that are desperately needing support.”

Kraft says he, like most of the independents running in the 2024 BC election, wants to see a change in government.

And if neither major party wins the 47 seats needed for a majority government because multiple independents are elected, those unaffiliated MLAs will be able to hold those parties accountable.