Dan Brooks wants to lead the B.C. Conservatives into the next provincial election.
The tourist camp outfitter from Vanderhoof plans to throw his hat in the ring when the party announces the details of its next leadership convention.
"I hope to provide an alternative to the Liberals for free enterprise people so that we don't feel that our only alternative is to vote for the lesser of two evils," Brooks, a director at large for the party, said Thursday afternoon.
According to Brooks among the agenda items for a party board meeting Thursday evening was determining the format and timelines for a leadership race.
John Cummins led the party in the spring provincial election, but failed to win his seat and the party was shut out of the provincial legislature. Cummins did not officially announce his intention to step down prior to Thursday evening's meeting, but Brooks believes the confirmation is imminent.
Brooks ran for the party in Nechako Lakes in May, finishing third behind Liberal incumbent John Rustand and NDP challenger Sussanne Skidmore-Hewlett. He said it was during the late stages of that campaign that he decided he wanted to seek the party's leadership, when it became available.
"I feel I bring something to the Conservative party that they need," he said. "The organization that they need to get beyond some of the hurdles that they were unable to get over."
After garnering just 4.8 per cent of the vote provincially last time out, Brooks acknowledged that it will take some time to build the Conservatives into a position to challenge for seats, but he said he's been working on a comprehensive plan which he will unveil if he wins the leadership race.
"Right of the gate we need to field 85 candidates, that's the very first thing that we need to do," he said.
No other candidates have entered the race for party leader.
