A new poll conducted by Mainstreet Research has shown that the Vancouver Conservatives' mayoral candidate would come out on top if the election were held today.The party sat ten points ahead of its closest rival and fellow newcomer on the municipal scene, the Vancouver Liberals..EXCLUSIVE: For municipal political parties, what's in a name?.Of the 1,207 respondents surveyed between October 17 and 22, 32% said they would support the Vancouver Conservatives' candidate for mayor, while 22% said their vote would go to the Vancouver Liberals.The parties that currently dominate city government, COPE, the Vancouver Greens, OneCity and ABC, garnered 13%, 11%, 5%, and 8%, respectively. .Those numbers changed when specific candidates were added to the mix.With former Park Board commissioner John Coupar as the Conservative option, the party got 25% of the vote. The Greens and COPE were tied for second at 20% apiece with councillors Pete Fry and Sean Orr, respectively.ABC candidate and current mayor Ken Sim took 13%, as did his former chief of staff Kareem Allam, who is running under the Liberal banner.The Conservatives performed slightly better under journalist and ex-mayoral candidate Kirk LaPointe, who was preferred by 26% of respondents.Conservative Electors Association President David Denhoff said the poll sent "a resounding message from voters: they want change, and our hopeful, common sense conservative vision is resonating across the city.""Vancouver is ready for a common sense conservative Mayor and council that prioritizes lower taxes and safer streets," he added. "The surge in our support reflects a growing consensus that it’s time to restore affordability, safety, and prosperity to our great city.".In interviews with the Western Standard earlier this year, both Denhoff and Allam dismissed concerns that the similarity to federal and provincial parties would cause confusion among voters, making it clear that what matters is not the party name itself, but what the name stands for in the broader political context.While Denhoff has registered Conservative parties in 15 municipalities across BC (so far), Allam is focused solely on Vancouver. He encouraged voters to look at his platform instead of simply seeing "Liberal" and jumping to conclusions about what he stands for.Allam expressed hope that his party would be appealing to anyone unhappy with his former boss' performance, and that anyone — regardless of their political leanings — would feel welcome calling themselves a local Liberal.The municipal election is set to take place on October 17, 2026.
