BURST
It’s election day in Richmond as voters head to the polls to choose who will lead them for the next four years.
For everything you need to know about how and when to vote in Richmond’s municipal election, click HERE .
If you’re still undecided on who to vote for, check out our preview story about the major issues and priorities within Richmond.
Then follow along our live-blog HERE throughout the day and night for the latest election day news from across the Metro Vancouver region, and check back here where we’ll keep this post updated all night with Richmond election results and reaction.
Richmond goes to the polls today to choose their first new mayor in 25 years as outgoing mayor Malcolm Brodie resigns. It’s been a tight race, with three candidates, city council incumbents Kash Heed, Alexa Loo, and Rob Howard, running neck and neck for the lead according to a recent Leger poll , with as little as one per cent between them in the week leading up to the election.
Outgoing mayor Brodie announced his endorsement of Rob Howard, a former MLA and former Richmond city councillor, on Sept. 16, but in the lead up to voting day, early polling results were still too close to award Howard an advantage.
During the campaign, Richmond candidates outlined plans on handling divisive issues like supervised consumption sites, cost of living, public safety, private property rights and affordable housing in a district that saw homelessness almost double between 2020 and 2025.
Under the Richmond Strong banner, Loo put safety first, promising to create a community team to respond to public disorder, problem spots and encampments. She promised more fiscal accountability and transparency including a line-by-line review of municipal spending. Loo promised faster turnaround on business licensing and building approvals, with infrastructure growth tied to development. She also promised to beef up dike and flood protection, and affordable housing for seniors.
Howard and Richmond Forward ran on a family values campaign that included a ban on supervised injection sites in Richmond and safety audits within 800 metres of schools, a freeze on public development permit application fees, defined service targets, a review of city spending, and fast-tracked seniors housing. Howard laid out a vision for an expanded arts, culture and entertainment district at the City Centre Waterfront and the development of a trade and exhibition centre for Richmond.
Heed is running as an independent, declaring his opposition to supervised consumption sites and a commitment to law and order. He also promised to cut down “red tape” in the development permitting process by reducing wait-times, a predictable property tax strategy with major capital projects subject to referendums, and the development of strategic investment opportunities to boost Richmond’s economy. He also planned to ensure greater transparency in council decision-making and term limits for councillors.
Eight council seats are up for grabs, with more than 55 candidates on the ballot. Incumbents running for council are Laura Gillanders with RITE Richmond, who advocated changing the affordable housing strategy to a partnership between the province, the federal government and the municipality, and the use of city-owned land. Council incumbents Michael Wolfe and Carole Day are also running again on the RITE Richmond slate.
Incumbent and retired police superintendent Andy Hobbs is also running again under the Richmond United banner.
Incumbent councillor Bill McNulty chose not to run again.
Newcomer Keefer Pelech of Richmond Citizen’s Society is getting a lot of interest in the run up to his bid for city council: his platform focuses on housing affordability. He also opposes continuing legal action on the Cowichan land title decision.
Youth support worker Jessy Dhillon, also a newcomer to municipal politics, is running as an independent and seemed to be stirring up voter interest. Dhillon opposes continuing modular housing projects, and supports using city-owned land for housing.
Another high profile council candidate is Sheldon Starrett, a well-known Conservative and opponent of low-barrier supportive housing and supervised drug consumption sites.
Seven school trustee positions were also up for grabs, with 28 contenders.
For more on the civic elections in Metro Vancouver, follow our coverage of the following municipalities:
• Vancouver
• Burnaby
• Delta
• Langley: City and Township
• New Westminster
• North Shore
• Richmond
• Surrey
• Tri-Cities: Port Moody, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam