How some Vancouver candidates are leaning into the snap B.C. election call, while others rail against it

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNewsLocal NewsOpinionColumnists How some Vancouver candidates are leaning into the snap B.C. election call, while others rail against it Dan Fumano: While some candidates see overlapping elections bringing confusion and distraction, others try to make political hay with a potential opportunity. Author of the article: By Dan Fumano Published Sep 23, 2026 4 minute read Join the conversation Kareem Allam and Vancouver Liberals outside Vancouver City Hall on Sept. 23, 2026. PHOTO BY ARLEN REDEKOP /PNG Article content While some Vancouver political candidates are railing against the B.C. NDP for calling a provincial election that risks drowning out municipal campaigns already underway, others are leaning into what they see as an opportunity. Article content NDP leader David Eby’s Tuesday announcement of a snap provincial election on Oct. 24 — just one week after B.C.’s municipal election day — was instantly met with civic organizations throughout B.C. blasting the decision, including two of Vancouver’s main parties. Article content Article content Article content ABC Vancouver’s Tuesday press release criticized the NDP, quoting Mayor Ken Sim saying: “There is no version of this where calling (a provincial election) now, instead of after Oct. 17, serves anyone but the governing party’s own interest.” Article content Sunrise Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. Sign Up By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content TEAM for a Livable Vancouver also issued a statement criticizing Eby’s decision, with mayoral candidate Colleen Hardwick saying the provincial election shouldn’t overshadow important choices facing Vancouverites. Article content By Wednesday, another Vancouver party was taking a different approach. Article content “A provincial election wasn’t on our scorecard, but now we have a unique and historic opportunity to align two levels of government against international, domestic, and local headwinds,” Vancouver Liberals mayoral candidate Kareem Allam wrote on social media Wednesday morning, seemingly welcoming the overlapping campaigns. Article content At a press conference later that day, Allam appeared alongside other Liberal candidates to outline what they called “the Vancouver economic…