We’re still 7 months away from the next Vancouver election (October 17, 2026). If you only want to know who to vote for, come back in a few months. I’ll post something closer to election date when the candidates and platforms are finalized.
This post is for the political nerds dreaming what a real Progressive Primary would look like and the implications of the unity talks between OneCity, COPE, and the Greens.
Since I couldn’t find official lists of who the candidates for city council might be, I did some digging and made my own. Below you’ll find a quick summary of every potential council nominee, with more detailed bios and links farther down. I’ll try to keep it up to date as things change.
I also know who the potential park and school candidates are too but this post is already too long. If there’s demand, I can make it public.
Note: I’m purposely ignoring parties like TEAM and the Liberals (who I do not consider progressive), and Vision Vancouver, Forward Vancouver, and Vote Socialist (who I hope stay dead).
OneCity Council and Mayoral Nominees
OneCity is the furthest along in its nomination process, having already voted to pick William Azaroff as its mayoral candidate. Only incumbent Lucy Maloney has been confirmed as a 2026 council candidate. The rest of the slate will be chosen by members from a long and impressive list. They will be fighting for an, as yet, undetermined number of spots (at least 4 but maybe as high as 7).
| Name | Notable Experience / Focus | Past Results |
|---|---|---|
| William Azaroff (Mayor) | Non-Profit Housing CEO | – |
| Lucy Maloney | Incumbent. Housing and Safe Streets | 33,732 (2025 By-election) |
| Iona Bonamis | TransLink Planner | 33,745 (2022 Council) |
| Russil Wvong | Housing Policy Analyst | 22,107 (2022 Council with Forward) |
| Caitlin Stockwell | Environmental/Indigenous Law | 36,856 (2022 Parks) |
| Peter Waldkirch | Lawyer and housing advocate | – |
| Michael Tan | Chinatown Advocacy | – |
| Aaron Chapman | Author/Historian | – |
| Jarrett Hagglund | Co-op Housing/LGBTQ+ | – |
| Armor Valor Corrales | Filipino Community | – |
| Haakon Koyote | Vision Zero Advocate | – |
| Fabian Contreras | Anti-Poverty | – |
| Ashley Fehr | Campaign Organizer | – |
| Azeem Ali | Constituency Director for Liberal MP | – |
| Amanda Burrows | Executive Director at First United (Unconfirmed) | – |
COPE Council Nominees
COPE hasn’t declared a mayoral candidate yet but they have hinted they might soon. There are also a number of candidates who have declared interest in joining Sean Orr on the ballot for council.
| Name | Notable Experience / Focus | Past Results |
|---|---|---|
| Sean Orr | Incumbent. Activist and Working-class Columnist | 34,448 (2025 By-election) |
| Devyani Singh | Climate Scientist | 21,255 (2022 Council with Greens) |
| Tanya Webking | Indigenous Health / Renters Rights | 17,675 (2022 Council) |
| Solomon Yi-Kieran | UBC SkyTrain Advocate | – |
| Chloe Leslie | Food Security | – |
| Maria Cruz | Arts and Culture | – |
| David Wray | Educator and Entertainer | – |
| Derrick O’Keefe | Writer/Activist (Unconfirmed) | 38,305 (2018 Council) |
| Adriana Cumming-Teicher | COPE Co-Chair and Avi Lewis Organizer (Unconfirmed) | – |
Green Council and Mayoral Nominees
The Green slate is led by incumbent councillor Pete Fry, who is running for Mayor this year. The Greens have had the biggest progressive caucus in recent years (electing 3 councillors in 2018), but are currently down to just a single seat on council.
| Name | Notable Experience / Focus | Past Results |
|---|---|---|
| Pete Fry (Mayor) | 2-Term Councillor | 37,270 (2022 Council) |
| Annette Reilly | Film/Gender Equity | 15,045 (2025 Council By-Election) |
| Adam Hawk | Cycling Advocate | 2,872 (Provincial 2024) |
| Effy Demeter | DTES Advocate | – |
| Andy Lin | Youth Advocate | – |
| Briget Burns | The Vegan Project (Unconfirmed) | 2,409 (Provincial 2024) |
OneCity Candidate Bios and Social Media
William Azaroff – OneCity (Mayor)
CEO of non-profit housing developer Brightside and a former board member of BC Non-Profit Housing Association, Modo, and the Vancouver International Film Festival. He beat Amanda Burrows to become OneCity’s mayoral candidate in what will likely be the only competitive mayoral nomination fight Vancouver will see.
Lucy Maloney – OneCity
Incumbent councillor. Advocate for more housing, renter protections, and safe streets. As PAC chair at Lord Roberts Elementary, she championed its school street program. She has a law degree and MBA. In 2025, she won a seat in by-election with 33,732 votes.
Iona Bonamis – OneCity
A planner at Translink who formerly worked at the City of Vancouver. Also a parent at my daughter’s school where she serves on the active transportation committee with Emily (my wife). The only candidate I can personally attest is awesome. Finished 12 for Council in 2022 with 33,745 votes.
Russil Wvong – OneCity
A software developer who’s become an expert on housing policy. He runs morehousing.ca, which has the most detailed housing policy analysis you’ll find online. The Georgia Straight wrote, “How come a Reddit user is doing a better job of housing communications than the City of Vancouver”? He ran for Forward Vancouver in 2022 and finished 22nd with 22,107.
Caitlin Stockwell – OneCity
A lawyer specializing in environmental and Indigenous law. Life long advocate for climate action and current board member of the Wilderness Committee. Finished 9th for Parks in 2022 with 36,856 votes.
Peter Waldkirch – OneCity
A lawyer and housing advocate. He is best known for his role in Abundant Housing Vancouver and his accordion polkas. Genuinely funny and passionate about Vancouver.
Michael Tan – OneCity
Former co-chair of the City of Vancouver’s Chinatown Legacy Stewardship Group, he’s best known for his community work and advocacy in Chinatown. Also a top business leader who was named to Business in Vancouver’s Forty Under 40 list.
Aaron Chapman – OneCity
Award-winning author who has written books about Vancouver’s history and nightlife, including featuring the Commodore Ballroom, the Penthouse Nightclub, and the Clark Park Gang. Co-hosts the sports/pop-culture show “The Chat Room” on Sportsnet radio.
Jarrett Hagglund – OneCity
Managing Director at the Co-operative Housing Federation of B.C. and 2SLGBTQ2+ community organizer.
Armor Valor Corrales – OneCity
Known for his anti-racism initiatives and community work, especially within the Filipino community. He’s a board member at Langara College and Filipino B.C., a chef and owner of KaonTa Chicken, and a cook at BC Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Haakon Koyote – OneCity
An air-ambulance pilot and Vision Zero Vancouver volunteer.
Fabian Contreras – OneCity
Public servant with 15 years of experience doing policy work at City of Vancouver, College of Pharmacists of British Columbia, and other organizations. Having grown up in poverty, he’s an advocate for social change to address inequality.
Ashley Fehr – OneCity
A campaign and outreach professional with over a decade of experience in political organizing, community engagement, and public service.
Azeem Ali – OneCity
Constituency Director for former Liberal MP Harjit Sajjan in Vancouver South.
Amanda Burrows – OneCity
Community builder, non-profit leader, and Executive Director at First United. Ran for the mayoral nomination but lost to William Azaroff in a close content. She hasn’t committed to running for council, but I’d love to see her go for it.
COPE Candidate Bios and Social Media
Sean Orr – COPE
Incumbent councillor. I remember following him in the early 2010s when he was active on twitter and a professional shit disturber writing for Scout Magazine. Always ready to stand up for the little guy. Ran for Vote Socialist in 2022 and finished in 36th place with 13,744 votes. Switched to COPE in 2025 and got the most by-election votes with 34,448.
Devyani Singh – COPE
A climate scientist and senior researcher at Stand.earth. She ran for the Green Party in 2022 and finished 23rd with 21,255 votes.
Tanya Webking – COPE
Indigenous Health Promotion Case Manager at AIDS Vancouver, co-chair of COPE, and former co-chair of the City of Vancouver’s Renters Advisory Committee. Finished 29th last election with 17,675 votes.
Solomon Yi-Kieran – COPE
VP External for the UBC Alma Mater Society, Solomon has been one of the leading voices on campus pushing for a SkyTrain extension to UBC.
Chloe Leslie – COPE
Community advocate for food security and social equity, currently working for the United Way in the Downtown Eastside Food Centre.
Maria Cruz – COPE
Museum consultant, actress, teaching assistant, and long-time COPE organizer.
David Wray – COPE
Instructor at LaSalle College Vancouver with a background in media, technology, anthropology, and futures studies.
Derrick O’Keefe – COPE
Long-time community advocate and writer. Hasn’t officially announced yet, but I think he’s considering it. Finished 14th in 2018 with 38,305 votes.
Adriana Cumming-Teicher – COPE
She hasn’t officially declared but has hinted at it. Adriana is the committee chair for COPE and currently busy as a regional organizer for the Avi Lewis NDP Leadership Campaign.
Green Candidate Bios and Social Media
Pete Fry – Green (Mayor)
Pete has been involved in Green politics for a long time, first running in 2014 and winning in a council seat in 2018. He’s a former graphic designer (anyone else remember Digiboy on twitter?). In 2022 he finished 10th with 37,270 votes. He’s Vancouver’s representative to the Union of BC Municipalities and the National Zero Waste Council.
Annette Reilly – Green
Film professional with experience acting, producing, and directing. Board member with the Gender Equity in Media Society. Finished 4th in the 2025 by-election with 15,045 votes.
Adam Hawk – Green
Works in natural foods and is a big cycling advocate. I’ve seen him at every cycling related event in the past year handing out flyers. Ran for the Green Party in the 2024 provincial election in the South Granville riding, finishing in 3rd with 11%.
Effy Demeter – Green
Community advocate and the founder of Our DTES (Downtown Eastside). Known for her advocacy work in the DTES.
Andy Lin – Green
Youth advocate and maybe fashion designer (?). Has a bunch of political videos online but nothing really describing who he is.
Bridget Burns
Founder The Vegan Project. Ran federally and provincially for the Greens, finishing 3rd in Vancouver Hastings in 2024 with 11%. Hasn’t officially announced but hinted she might.
Dream Slate
As you can see, we already have a ton of progressive candidates to choose from, with at least 12 from OneCity, 7 from COPE, and 4 from the Greens. If I could pick my dream slate, it would be:
- William Azaroff – OneCity (Mayor)
- Lucy Maloney – OneCity
- Sean Orr – COPE
- Pete Fry – Green (assuming he backs down from his mayoral run)
- Iona Bonamis – OneCity
- Russil Wvong – OneCity
- Peter Waldkirch – OneCity
- Caitlin Stockwell – OneCity
- Devyani Singh – COPE
- Aaron Chapman – OneCity
- Adam Hawk – Green
These 3 would make my list if they confirmed they are running:
- Amanda Burrows – OneCity
- Bridget Burns – Green
- Derrick O’Keefe – COPE
Over the next few weeks, the unity talks between OneCity, COPE, and the Greens will determine how many candidates each party runs. The last proposal from COPE had attempted to get a commitment that “each party runs up to five for Council and Mayor combined.” Personally, I think that would be a travesty given the depth of the OneCity field compared to the other parties, but that’s just my opinion. I think OneCity should run 6 council candidates (plus a mayor), COPE should run 4, and the Greens should run 3. I know that’s not balanced, but it gives the best chance of winning and capitalizes on the strength of the candidates available.
Regardless of how the unity talks go, the party’s will hold nomination meetings to pick which of these candidates get nominated to run in October. The exact process and timing will vary. I know OneCity will be using a ranked ballot in May; the Greens have a nomination meeting scheduled for April 4; and COPE said they will be choosing in May.
So, who you are excited about? And how many candidates should each party run? Leave a comment below.
Canadian Veggie 