A new poll conducted by Research Co. has found that a majority of Vancouverites want the next mayor and city council to act more "like [Zohran] Mamdani," referring to the recently-elected democratic socialist leader of New York City.Nearly 60% said they'd like to see municipal politicians push for policies that "make life more affordable, even if they make Vancouver's elite uncomfortable."According to the poll, conducted between January 26 and 28, 2026, 59% agreed with that sentiment. While a majority of all age demographics expressed support, the highest demand was among younger voters, with 67% of the 18-34 crowd desiring a shift towards Mamdani-style governance.Over 50% of respondents in the three regions surveyed (East of Main, West of Main, and Downtown) sought such a change, as did 55% of those who voted for Mayor Ken Sim in the last election.At the other end of things, 23% of those surveyed said having a mayor like Mamdani would be "too risky for Vancouver," and that "a socialist mayor and council will undermine investment in our city, and see a return to the soft-on-crime approaches of previous councils."A further 18% were "not sure" where they stood..While Sim has managed to hold on to an ABC majority, the progressive wing of council has grown. In 2025, a by-election resulted in two councillors — COPE's Sean Orr and OneCity's Lucy Maloney — joining the Green's Pete Fry on that side of the ideological spectrum.Since being elected, Orr and Maloney have not shied away from taking strong stances on major issues.When asked whether Vancouver needs "more" councillors with "progressive and left-wing views," 19% said "definitely," while 25% said "probably." A full 30% said they were "not sure," while those who said we "probably do not" or "definitely do not" accounted for 13% and 12%, respectively.Just 27% said they believed Sim and ABC should stay in power, while an equal percentage argued that the city needed not only new leadership, but new ideas. Just under one-third said ABC needed to go but that a "major change in policy" wasn't needed.Mamdani won the 2025 NYC mayor election with 50.78% of the popular vote, besting centrist candidate Andrew Cuomo by over 9%. While his competitors campaigned on a vision of restoring the city to its former glory via tweaks to the existing system, Mamdani argued that a complete overhaul was necessary.Elsewhere in the world, voters unhappy with the status quo have been gravitating towards anti-establishment candidates on both the left and right. Whether that trend extends to Vancouver when people head to the polls in October, only time will tell.
