Vancouver Civic Election 2022

[madog222]

Originally Posted by CanSpice

Ken Sim and ABC's "zero means zero" budget appears to have got people riled up, I've seen that 645 people have registered to speak about it at council.

They finally got through all speakers, council will debate on the 25th.

[seamusmcduff]

Well we already know what the decision will be. Sim has clearly already made up his mind, considering he called the speakers "mobilized opposition". That's a pretty convenient way to justify dismissing everyone's comments.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by seamusmcduff

Well we already know what the decision will be. Sim has clearly already made up his mind, considering he called the speakers "mobilized opposition". That's a pretty convenient way to justify dismissing everyone's comments.

He’s going to be a one and done mayor. His only hope is that the opposition offers too many mayoral candidates.

[seamusmcduff]

Unless things change, I think there's a real danger of vote splitting and giving ABC another Council majority. I've heard talk of both cope and onecity running mayoral candidates, as well as a few other individuals, all who are clearly "left" of Sim.

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by seamusmcduff

Unless things change, I think there's a real danger of vote splitting and giving ABC another Council majority. I've heard talk of both cope and onecity running mayoral candidates, as well as a few other individuals, all who are clearly "left" of Sim.

I feel like I should mention that last election the "left" unified around one candidate whereas the "right" was split between 3+ serious contenders and Ken Sim walked away with over 50% of the vote.

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by chowhou

I feel like I should mention that last election the "left" unified around one candidate whereas the "right" was split between 3+ serious contenders and Ken Sim walked away with over 50% of the vote.

That's one way of looking at the 2022 election. The unpopular incumbent mayor, Kennedy Stewart was the 'left' candidate with name recognition, and Sim did get over 50% of the vote. But he was fronting a party with several existing council members who had previously been NPA members. Hardwick had name recognition as a former council member, but I don't think any of the other mayoral candidates could be called 'serious'.

Next time Sim would seem to be the unpopular incumbent mayor, (even among members of the council he was elected with).

[Alex Mackinnon]

Sim's candidates in the by-election finished way behind COPE, One City, and the NPA. I think that's pretty indicative that he's pretty well screwed. Fourth place isn't likely to win even if vote splitting happens.

Even most centre/right folks I talk to think he's been a reject.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon

Sim's candidates in the by-election finished way behind COPE, One City, and the NPA. I think that's pretty indicative that he's pretty well screwed. Fourth place isn't likely to win even if vote splitting happens.

Even most centre/right folks I talk to think he's been a reject.

Sim's campaign promises were popular and ABC won by a huge margin for a reason. The issue is mainly that he's failed to deliver on most or all of them. Everything else is noise IMO.

[MalcolmTucker]

Originally Posted by Alex Mackinnon

Sim's candidates in the by-election finished way behind COPE, One City, and the NPA. I think that's pretty indicative that he's pretty well screwed. Fourth place isn't likely to win even if vote splitting happens.

Even most centre/right folks I talk to think he's been a reject.

I think that is a very superficial analysis. The majority wasn't on the line.

[Alex Mackinnon]

Originally Posted by MalcolmTucker

I think that is a very superficial analysis. The majority wasn't on the line.

It is a superficial analysis! 7% of the vote and finishing 4th in a by-election is a pretty substantial screw you. You don't really need to look that much past it. I waited 1.5 hrs to vote to tell him to screw himself.

If Sim didn't have that big of a feedback event, do you think he'd be trying to make waves now? I voted for him over Stewart. At this point, I'd vote a pet rock for mayor over Sim in the next election.

[bluefox]

As always, the ballot question will be "do you feel the city is in better shape than it was four years ago", and I would be willing to bet that for the vast majority of people, the answer is no, and worse for Sim, for many it'll be a resounding no. Look no further than that.

It may not be wise to interpret byelection results, but I agree what happened to ABC was an omen for how the voters feel. Either motivated enough to vote against him and ABC, or dissatisfied enough to stay home and not cast a vote *for* them. Bad combo for an incumbent.

[chowhou]

Be careful what you all wish for, there's a very real monkey paw scenario brewing.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-conservatives-2026-civic-election-early-survey

I don't care about vibes of how people are feeling, I prefer polls of how people are feeling and according to the only poll done so far people are feeling conservative.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by chowhou

Be careful what you all wish for, there's a very real monkey paw scenario brewing.

https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/vancouver-conservatives-2026-civic-election-early-survey

I don't care about vibes of how people are feeling, I prefer polls of how people are feeling and according to the only poll done so far people are feeling conservative.

There's a Vancouver Conservative Party? Who knew.

Probably a lot of poll respondents muddled in their heads between the Provincial and Federal ones. Is this a rebrand of the NPA?

[Changing City]

Originally Posted by whatnext

There's a Vancouver Conservative Party? Who knew.

Probably a lot of poll respondents muddled in their heads between the Provincial and Federal ones. Is this a rebrand of the NPA?

Not obviously (yet). The chair of the regional advisory board is Kerry Lynn Findlay, who was in parliament as a Conservative MP and former Minister until the recent election, and the vice chair was a Conservative candidate in Vancouver Centre.

[GenWhy?]

"The Vancouver Conservatives are part of the broader Conservative Electors Association, a new municipal political organization in British Columbia established in Summer 2025. The party plans to field candidates in more than a dozen municipalities across the province during the 2026 civic elections — not just in Vancouver."

I'd consider myself pretty plugged in and had no idea about this

[RedArbutus]

Originally Posted by GenWhy?

"The Vancouver Conservatives are part of the broader Conservative Electors Association, a new municipal political organization in British Columbia established in Summer 2025. The party plans to field candidates in more than a dozen municipalities across the province during the 2026 civic elections — not just in Vancouver."

I'd consider myself pretty plugged in and had no idea about this

Me too.

[kikin]

Originally Posted by seamusmcduff

Unless things change, I think there's a real danger of vote splitting and giving ABC another Council majority. I've heard talk of both cope and onecity running mayoral candidates, as well as a few other individuals, all who are clearly "left" of Sim.

"danger"

lol, the real danger would be a return to the left like the Kennedy era where most of the problems in this city that were under the influence of the council made things worse

[chowhou]

Originally Posted by whatnext

There's a Vancouver Conservative Party? Who knew.

Probably a lot of poll respondents muddled in their heads between the Provincial and Federal ones. Is this a rebrand of the NPA?

"Politics" in a sense have hit pretty close to home with the Cowichan ruling and subsequently publicized Coquitlam claims which "feel" like municipal issues given that they affect city and private land, especially with Malcolm Brodie and Brad West as leading voices in opposition. Regardless of whether the cities can actually affect any change, I wouldn't be surprised if it's an issue that kicks municipal voters (or at least land owning municipal voters) in a particular direction.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by chowhou

"Politics" in a sense have hit pretty close to home with the Cowichan ruling and subsequently publicized Coquitlam claims which "feel" like municipal issues given that they affect city and private land, especially with Malcolm Brodie and Brad West as leading voices in opposition. Regardless of whether the cities can actually affect any change, I wouldn't be surprised if it's an issue that kicks municipal voters (or at least land owning municipal voters) in a particular direction.

That is certainly possible.

[kikin]

Originally Posted by bluefox

As always, the ballot question will be "do you feel the city is in better shape than it was four years ago", and I would be willing to bet that for the vast majority of people, the answer is no, and worse for Sim, for many it'll be a resounding no. Look no further than that.

It may not be wise to interpret byelection results, but I agree what happened to ABC was an omen for how the voters feel. Either motivated enough to vote against him and ABC, or dissatisfied enough to stay home and not cast a vote *for* them. Bad combo for an incumbent.

perhaps, but I'm hoping strongly for ABC in the upcoming election, but I am too busy to bother to vote in a byelection that doesn't really matter much

I will for sure be voting in the election when it comes time