Richmond mayoral candidates debate public safety and social policy

Over several days, I listened to debates featuring Richmond mayoral candidates, including one hosted by the Richmond News. The mayoral debate is available online at https://www.youtube.com/live/N0o1UNJhIiQ. I also found debates hosted by CBC and CKNW. Local media are doing their part to inform voters, so there is ample information available to help people decide whom to support in the civic election.

The same five candidates took part in the Richmond News debate and the other debates: Alexa Loo of Richmond Strong, independent candidate Kash Heed, Rob Howard of Richmond Forward, Dickens Cheung of We are Richmond, and Mae Kang of Action Richmond. Heed and Loo are sitting city councillors; Howard served as a councillor several years ago.

Community safety appeared to be Richmond’s leading election issue and the topic mentioned most often. That may be an indirect reference to the opioid crisis, which was declared a provincial public health emergency 10 years ago and has claimed more than 18,000 lives: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2026HLTH0037-000404.

In 2024, nearly 100 people spoke against a city council motion to study a supervised injection site. The motion ultimately passed. The Richmond News reported at the time that Loo voted against it: https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/richmond-council-votes-7-2-to-explore-supervised-consumption-site-8304417. A couple of weeks after the debate, the province said it would not open a supervised injection site in Richmond, closing the matter. The provincial statement said 26 Richmond residents died from drug overdoses in 2023. It also said supervised injection sites, which already exist in Richmond, save lives, do not provide drugs and do not encourage drug use: https://www.richmond.ca/city-hall/news/2024/clarification26feb2024.htm.

The candidates raised the issue in their debates. Heed said supervised injection sites should be studied. Loo said the city needs treatment facilities and safer, more affordable housing. Other candidates said more services and funding are needed for addiction and mental health support.

Twenty-six deaths from toxic drugs in Richmond is too many, although the figure is lower than in some other cities. In 2025, Richmond recorded 419 overdose or drug poisoning events, compared with 765 in Burnaby and 917 in Langley, according to B.C. Emergency Health Services: https://www.bcehs.ca/about/accountability/data/overdose-drug-poisoning-data.

In a Metro region where cannabis shops are as plentiful as coffee shops, Richmond has none. Richmond News editor Maria Rantanen directly asked all the candidates at the debate whether they supported cannabis stores. Every candidate said no, although Heed pointed to the distinction between medical and recreational cannabis.

The Richmond school district’s SOGI (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity) policy is another example of strong opinions in the city. The school policy helps educators make LGBTQ+ and gender non-binary students feel accepted and includes anti-bullying strategies: https://sd38.bc.ca/app/uploads/drupal-files/2024-08/SOGI%20-%20Information%20for%20Parents%20and%20Guardians.pdf. Rantanen also asked all the mayoral candidates whether they supported SOGI. Their answers were generally thoughtful rather than divisive.

The candidates seemed to agree that schools need to keep children safe and that decisions about gender are personal. SOGI was a hot topic during the 2018 civic election. This time, it prompted some friction at an event for school trustee candidates, but the mayoral hopefuls did not become particularly animated about it. Related coverage: https://www.richmond-news.com/election-2018-archive/sogi-and-safety-hot-topics-at-school-trustee-all-candidate-meeting-3085063; https://www.richmond-news.com/2026-civic-election/richmond-bc-votes-heated-confrontation-takes-place-at-trustee-candidate-meet-and-greet-12847464.

Each candidate had an opportunity to close the debate with a statement about their campaign. Cheung said he would speed up purpose-built affordable rental housing and homes for seniors. He also pledged to bring people together and make Richmond safer for the next generation.

Kang also pledged to make the city safer, create more well-paying jobs and open more affordable housing. She said she would make Richmond a better environment for small businesses.

Heed cited his extensive experience in politics and policing, and said he is a globally known expert on drug policy and law enforcement. He pledged to make Richmond a safe and thriving city for everyone, regardless of ethnicity or socio-economic status.

Howard named several people who have endorsed his mayoral campaign, including current mayor Malcolm Brodie. He promised to focus on safety, accountability and prosperity while remaining active in the community.

Loo, a chartered professional accountant, pledged to make Richmond the best place to grow up and the best place for seniors to grow old. She said she would create a mayor’s economic task force and provide translation services so all voices could be heard at City Hall.

I urge Richmond residents to watch the debates, which can be streamed online at any time, to inform their votes. The mayor and council make decisions that significantly affect residents, and the politicians elected to those seats have a major impact on people’s lives. Make your own decision and be sure to vote. The mayoral debate is at https://www.youtube.com/live/N0o1UNJhIiQ, and the councillor debate is at https://www.youtube.com/live/mQ6HSTMCi2w.