Premier Christy Clark declared a symbolic return to what she called the “cradle of free enterprise,” announcing on Wednesday she will run for a seat in an Okanagan riding once represented by popular Social Credit premiers W.A.C. Bennett and Bill Bennett.

The move came as cabinet minister Ben Stewart announced he would immediately surrender the Liberal stronghold of Westside-Kelowna that he reclaimed last month with more than 58 per cent of the vote.

“I want to ensure the premier gets a chance to deliver on not just a vision, but on some of the real things that we need to do for British Columbia,” said Stewart at a press conference Wednesday, where he at times fought back tears.

“I’m pleased to be able to make the riding of Westside-Kelowna available to Premier Christy Clark.”

Clark needs a seat in the legislature because she lost Vancouver-Point Grey to the NDP’s David Eby.

First elected in 2009, Stewart won Westside-Kelowna in the recent election by more than 6,000 votes over the NDP’s Carole Gordon.

Clark did not say exactly when she will call the Kelowna byelection, but indicated it will be within the next week, meaning the vote will take place in early-to-mid July.

When Clark does call the byelection, Adrian Dix said she can expect a challenge from the New Democrats.

“Obviously the premier selected this seat based on the results in the recent general election, and that’s fair enough,” Dix said Wednesday.

“We’re going to run a strong local candidate and let the people decide.”

The NDP has never won a provincial election in the riding.

Green party leader Jane Sterk said her party will not run a candidate in the byelection.

“The B.C. Liberals won the May 14th election decisively and the riding of Westside-Kelowna by a wide margin,” Sterk said in a news release.

“We wish the premier success in the byelection and in the upcoming session of the legislature.”

Stewart’s riding of Westside-Kelowna includes a significant portion of the area represented by both Bill Bennett and, before him, by his father W.A.C. Bennett.

Stewart’s announcement Wednesday came exactly 40 years to the day after W.A.C. retired from what was then called South Okanagan. That move by Bennett, which came when Dave Barrett was premier, made way for a byelection in the riding that Bill Bennett eventually won.

Clark represented a Port Moody riding in her first stint in provincial politics, meaning if she wins the coming byelection, Westside-Kelowna would become her third riding.

On Wednesday, Clark said she had offers since the election from multiple Liberal MLAs who were willing to step aside, but she chose Stewart because his riding felt like “the most natural.”

“To me, Kelowna is a natural political home for me and the values that I believe in. This is the cradle of free enterprise,” said Clark, who promised to “create a second residence” in the Okanagan riding if she wins the byelection.

“You think of the visions that W.A.C. Bennett brought to growing our province and the vision that Bill Bennett brought to controlling government spending and keeping taxes low for the people here,” added Clark.