The main opposition was the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP), whose electoral representation was reduced to two MLAs in the previous provincial election in 2001.

While the popularity of Campbell's government was affected by various factors such as its resolution of the Fast ferry scandal inherited from the previous NDP government, the sale of BC Rail, and Campbell being convicted for driving under the influence in January 2003, the overwhelming majority they earned at the previous election held up well enough for them to remain comfortably in control of the Legislative Assembly.

[2] Coincidental with the general election, BC voters also voted on whether or not to change the province's electoral system.

A new vote on a revamped version of STV was held in conjunction with the 2009 British Columbia general election.

Besides the usual public polling by market research firms, other organizations have been attempting to predict the results of the upcoming election using alternate methods.

Results suggest that all three projections below underestimated NDP seats and overestimated Liberal seats: UBC's Election Stock Market tracks the prices of contracts whose value depend on election results: [1] Popular vote: Lib 44.5%, NDP 35.9%, Green 13.9%, Other 5.3% Seats: Lib 48.6 (61.5), NDP 29.4 (37.2), Other 1.6 (2.0)(values in parentheses are values of actual contracts, in cents) The Election Prediction Project aggregates submissions from the Internet and subjectively predicts winners based on the submissions (see methodology): Seats: Lib 50, NDP 29, Other 0 Will McMartin at the progressive online newspaper The Tyee makes his predictions by looking at "historic election results and selected demographics, as well as public opinion polls, regional sources and input from Election Central readers" (see details): Seats: Lib 51, NDP 28, Other 0.

Leader: Adriane Carr The Green Party ran 72 candidates in 2001, winning 12 percent of the vote but no seats in the legislature.

The party chose not to run in certain districts and instead endorse New Democrat and Green candidates who publicly favour the legalization of marijuana.

Party founder Marc Emery ran against Solicitor General Rich Coleman, an anti-drug hardliner, in staunchly conservative Fort Langley-Aldergrove.

Work Less Party of British Columbia Leader: Conrad Schmidt The WLP is an anti-materialist political movement that hopes to achieve socialist and green ends through, among other things, the promotion of a four-day work-week.

The 2005 BC election marked the debut in Western politics of any registered party expressly driven by the ideology of voluntary simplicity.

Platinum Party of Employers Who Think and Act to Increase Awareness Leader: Jeff Evans Nominated eleven candidates.

Provincial affiliate of the Libertarian Party of Canada People's Front Leader: Charles Boylan Nominated five candidates.

Western Canada Concept Party of British Columbia Leader: Doug Christie Although the WCC did not run in the 2001 election, it has been a constant, if minor, force in the BC political fringes for decades.

Emerged Democracy Party of British Columbia Leader: Tony Luck Nominated one candidate, Rob Nordberg, in Surrey-Green Timbers.