(TORONTO, June 29, 2026) – A new Pallas Data poll of Richmond, BC finds independent Kash Heed leading the race for mayor with 20% support, ahead of Conservative-endorsed Sheldon Starrett at 11.3% and Richmond Strong’s Alexa Loo at 8.5%. Rob Howard of Richmond Forward sits at 5.9%, Mei Kang of Action Richmond at 4.3%, and Dickens Cheung of We Are Richmond at 1.6%. Just under half of Richmond voters, 48.4%, say they haven’t picked a candidate.
Heed’s number puts him ahead of the field, but the size of the undecided bloc means the race is still forming. His support draws from across party lines: 41% of federal NDP voters in Richmond back him for mayor, along with 24.3% of federal Liberals and 18.3% of federal Conservatives. Starrett’s coalition looks different. He holds 28.8% of federal Conservative voters but only 6% of federal Liberals, a split that tracks his campaign’s explicit Conservative branding.
Voters under 35 are the least settled group in the electorate. Among 18-34-year-olds, 59.4% remain undecided, compared to 45.9% of voters 65 and older. Heed performs best with voters 50-64 (26.2%) and 18-34 (22.7%), while Starrett’s strongest cohort is 35-49 (14.6%), where he ties Loo for second place behind Heed. Loo also draws disproportionately from the 35-49 group. She and Starrett may end up competing for some of the same voters as the campaign goes on.
The gender split is sharper than the age split. Heed leads among men (23.4%) and women (16.8%) alike, but Starrett runs six points stronger with women (14%) than men (8.3%), while Howard and Kang each run roughly four to eight points stronger with men. Women are also considerably more likely to be undecided, at 58.7% compared to 37.4% of men.
Council race shows a similar pattern
Richmond’s council race closely tracks the mayoral numbers. When asked which team of council candidates they would support, 16.8% of voters chose the Conservative slate, followed by RITE at 6.5%, RCA at 3.9%. Richmond Forward come in at 3.1%, Advance Richmond at 2.8%, We Are Richmond at 1.7%, and Richmond Strong at 1.6%. A majority (63.1%) are undecided or unwilling to name a preference, a larger share than in the mayoral race.
The Conservative council slate’s support is closely tied to federal Conservative identification: 46.3% of federal CPC voters in Richmond back the Conservative team, compared with 16.2% of federal Liberals. That’s a more partisan coalition than Heed’s, and it mirrors Starrett’s mayoral numbers almost exactly. The Conservative civic brand is pulling a consistent bloc of committed voters into both races. RITE performs best among voters 65 and older (15%), a reversal of the youth-leaning coalition some slates court, while the Conservative team’s strongest age group is 35-49 (24.5%).
Methodology:
The analysis in this report is based on results of a survey conducted June 24-28, 2026 among a sample of 304 adults 18 years of age or older, living in Richmond, BC and eligible to vote in municipal elections. The survey was conducted using automated telephone interviews with Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology, with respondents interviewed on landlines and cellular phones.
The sample was weighted by age, gender, and region according to the 2021 Census. This poll was commissioned by the Conservative Electors Association.
The margin of error for the poll is +/- 5.6%, at the 95% confidence level. Margins of error are higher in each subsample. Totals may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
