This is a list of premiers of the province of British Columbia in order of time served in office as premiers as of February 14, 2021. The preceding premier retains the office during an election campaign, and that time is included in the total. Mandates listed below are defined as election victories for a given premier, with zero mandates listed for premiers appointed during the course of a parliament, but either failing to win the subsequent election or resign before the parliament dissolves.
No party affiliation (15) British Columbia New Democratic Party (6) |
| Rank | Name | Time in office | Dates in power | Mandates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | W. A. C. Bennett | 20 years, 45 days | 1952–1972 | 7 |
| 2 | Richard McBride | 12 years, 197 days | 1903–1915 | 4 |
| 3 | Bill Bennett | 10 years, 227 days | 1975–1986 | 3 |
| 4 | Gordon Campbell | 9 years, 282 days | 2001–2011 | 3 |
| 5 | John Oliver[a] | 9 years, 164 days | 1918–1927 | 2 |
| 6 | Thomas Dufferin Pattullo | 8 years, 24 days | 1933–1941 | 2 |
| 7 | Christy Clark | 6 years, 126 days | 2011–2017 | 2[b] |
| 8 | John Hart | 6 years, 20 days | 1941–1947 | 2 |
| 9 | George Anthony Walkem | 5 years, 331 days[c] | 1874–1876 1878–1882 | N/A[d] |
| 10 | Simon Fraser Tolmie | 5 years, 86 days | 1928–1933 | 1 |
| 11 | Bill Vander Zalm | 4 years, 239 days | 1986–1991 | 1 |
| 12 | Boss Johnson | 4 years, 216 days | 1947–1952 | 1 |
| 13 | Mike Harcourt | 4 years, 109 days | 1991–1996 | 1 |
| 14 | William Smithe[a] | 4 years, 58 days | 1883–1887 | N/A[d] |
| 15 | John Horgan (incumbent) | 3 years, 211 days | 2017–present | 2[b] |
| 16 | Glen Clark | 3 years, 184 days | 1996–1999 | 1 |
| 17 | John Herbert Turner | 3 years, 157 days | 1895–1898 | N/A[d] |
| 18 | Dave Barrett | 3 years, 98 days | 1972–1975 | 1 |
| 19 | John Robson[a] | 2 years, 332 days | 1889–1892 | N/A[d] |
| 20 | Theodore Davie | 2 years, 243 days | 1892–1895 | N/A[d] |
| 21 | James Dunsmuir | 2 years, 159 days | 1900–1902 | N/A[d] |
| 22 | Andrew Charles Elliott | 2 years, 144 days | 1876–1878 | N/A[d] |
| 23 | A. E. B. Davie[a] | 2 years, 122 days | 1887–1889 | N/A[d] |
| 24 | Charles Augustus Semlin | 1 year, 196 days | 1898–1900 | N/A[d] |
| 25 | Ujjal Dosanjh | 1 year, 101 days | 2000–2001 | 0 |
| 26 | Harlan Carey Brewster[a] | 1 year, 98 days | 1916–1918 | 1 |
| 27 | Amor De Cosmos | 1 year, 48 days | 1872–1874 | N/A[d] |
| 28 | John Foster McCreight | 1 year, 39 days | 1871–1872 | N/A[d] |
| 29 | John Duncan MacLean | 1 year, 0 days | 1927–1928 | 0 |
| 30 | William John Bowser | 344 days | 1915–1916 | 0 |
| 31 | Robert Beaven | 230 days | 1882–1883 | N/A[d] |
| 32 | Rita Johnston | 217 days | 1991 | 0 |
| 33 | Edward Gawler Prior | 192 days | 1902–1903 | N/A[d] |
| 34 | Dan Miller | 183 days | 1999–2000 | 0 |
| 35 | Joseph Martin | 106 days | 1900 | N/A[d] |
Notes
- ^ a b c d e Died in office
- ^ a b Christy Clark's Liberal government won a plurality of seats in the 2017 provincial election, but the resulting 41st Parliament of British Columbia passed a motion of no confidence against her government less than two months into her mandate. With the Opposition NDP and Green Party having made a confidence and supply agreement, the lieutenant-governor invited NDP leader John Horgan to form a government. This table counts the 2017 election as a win for both Clark and Horgan.
- ^ In two blocks: 1 year, 350 days & 3 years, 346 days.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Prior to 1903, British Columbia operated without political parties. As governments were formed by and from elected non-partisan legislators, no premier from this period was elected with an explicit mandate to govern. However, informal pro- and anti-government alliances did exist.