Eight candidates. Eight approaches to Vancouver’s future. Here is a brief look at every single mayoral candidate for the up-coming Vancouver Municipal election.

First up is Muhammad Ahmad, who’s running with Bright Future Vancouver. A community advocate with a background in public affairs and nonprofit work, Ahmad has never held elected office. His campaign is focused on affordability, proposing rent-to-own housing, free transit for Vancouver residents, expanded childcare and a tax surcharge on high-value properties.

Next is Kareem Allam, a former political strategist who managed Ken Sim’s successful 2022 campaign and later served as his chief of staff. Now, Allam says the administration he helped create, needs to change with the Vancouver Liberals. Allam is promising more frontline city workers, investment in parks, pools, libraries and community centres, and a focus on basic municipal services.

Another former ABC member turned independent entering the race is Rebecca Bligh, who brings two-terms of experience as a city councillor. Now leading Vote Vancouver, she is campaigning on affordability, housing, childcare, reliable transit and stronger public services — while promising a more collaborative and less partisan City Hall.

Amauri Caliman is running as an independent. He has no previous elected office and has comparatively little publicly available campaign information. His candidacy offers voters an independent option outside Vancouver’s established civic parties.

Under the recently united, ‘progressive left’, Pete Fry is the Green Party candidate and brings nearly eight years of experience at City Hall. A former community activist and communications professional, Fry is campaigning on affordable housing, climate action, public safety and greater government transparency. Fry has been a consistent critic of the current administration but faces the challenge of turning an opposition record into a mayoral mandate.

Scott Gilbert is an independent activist, and self-proclaimed mayor of former North Vancouver encampment, Bowser Island. His campaign listed on his website, ‘Drain the Swamp’ is focused on issues to the Downtown Eastside.

Colleen Hardwick, a former city councillor and urban-planning advocate, is running with TEAM for a Livable Vancouver. Her campaign argues that development must be matched by infrastructure and focuses on neighbourhood character and stronger municipal services.

And Ken Sim, the incumbent mayor, is seeking a second term with ABC Vancouver. The former entrepreneur is emphasizing public safety on his campaign trail – earlier this year, Sim’s ABC majority approved a motion to include 2 plebiscite questions on drug use, to be included on the ballots.

Sim also enters this campaign carrying significant political baggage.

Earlier this year, an independent investigation found he violated Vancouver’s Code of Conduct and harassed Councillor Sean Orr over allegations involving antisemitism and terrorism. Council ultimately imposed no sanctions. Separately, Sim apologized after it emerged, he had started a false claim that Orr was distributing illegal drugs.

With the election set for October 17th, voters will decide who gets to lead the city for the next four years.