Ken Sim hanging on as front-runner for mayor in looming Vancouver election

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has a lead, according to a recent poll, in the upcoming mayoral election. Photo by Arlen Redekop /PNG

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The latest polling shows three candidates have emerged as strong contenders for mayor of Vancouver against incumbent Ken Sim.

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On Tuesday, Research Co. released data showing Sim held 30 per cent of the decided vote, followed by his former chief of staff Kareem Allam and current councillor Pete Fry with 19 per cent each. Former councillor Colleen Hardwick trails just behind at 14 per cent.

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The three other main candidates — current councillor and former Sim ally Rebecca Bligh, non-profit housing developer William Azaroff and former B.C. Housing executive Stephanie Allen — each received less than seven per cent of the decided vote.

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Research Co. President Mario Canseco noted an unusually high percentage of voters remain undecided, with just over two months to go until the Oct. 17 election.

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“The presence of many credible mayoral candidates has made it difficult for likely voters in Vancouver to solidify their choice for mayor,” Canseco said.

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“More than a quarter of likely voters in Vancouver (26 per cent) are undecided in the election, including 36 per cent of those aged 55 and over.”

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A July 30 poll from Toronto-based Pallas Data had Fry leading the race with 18 per cent, Sim with 14 per cent, Allam with 12 per cent, Hardwick with 11 per cent, Allen with six per cent, Azaroff at four per cent and Bligh at three per cent.

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At that point, 34 per cent of voters were undecided.

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The Pallas Data poll showed Sim was more popular with men and homeowners. It found 40 per cent of renters at that point were undecided, compared to 31 per cent of homeowners.

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“Usually we find incumbent mayors doing much better this close to an election, so Ken Sim find himself in real trouble,” said Pallas Data founder Dr. Joseph Angolano at the time. “Fry is slightly before him, and he finds himself in a statistical tie with Allam.”

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The Pallas Data poll was conducted between July 20-24, using a sample of 312 voting adults.

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The Research Co. poll was conducted between July 30 and Aug. 1, using a sample of 401 voting adults in Vancouver.

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Sim won the 2022 election with just over half the vote.

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The final list of mayoral candidates will be confirmed next month. So, a few big names could drop out or move around between now and that filing deadline.

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With a file from Dan Fumano

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