Explainer: Meet Richmond's 7 mayoral candidates

Richmond will elect a new mayor for the first time in 25 years as former mayor Malcolm Brodie is not running for re-election.

Voters will also elect eight councillors and six school trustees in the Oct. 17 municipal election.

Seven mayoral candidates are running: Dickens Cheung, Kash Heed, Rob Howard, Mei Kang, Goldentiger King, Dennet “The Cat Guy” Lee, and Alexa Loo.

Former B.C. NDP MLA for Richmond South Centre Henry Yao was initially in the race before he withdrew. Yao is now running for the NDP in the renamed riding of Richmond Centre — the same election he lost in 2024.

Dickens Cheung

Dickens Cheung is the mayoral candidate for We Are Richmond. The party’s 12-point platform includes property rights, zero tolerance for drug use normalization, and promises a future for youth in Richmond.

Cheung is the co-founder of UNBUTTON Health, a wellness brand targeted towards the men’s mental health crisis in relation to addiction.

We Are Richmond’s councillors candidates are: Jack Chen, Michael Lok, Jenny Gonzales Mata, Antonio “Tony” Ortega, and Adnan Sarwar.

Kash Heed

Former police officer Kash Heed is running as an independent mayoral candidate. The city councilor was first elected in 2022 with the Richmond Rise slate.

Heed pledges to control taxes, make city hall more transparent, insure people facing addiction and mental health challenges receive treatment, and speed-up housing approvals.

Rob Howard

Rob Howard is running for mayor with the Richmond Forward slate. Howard was a Richmond city councillor from 2001 to 2008, later elected as the MLA for Richmond Centre in 2009 with the B.C. Liberals. Howard did not seek re-election in 2012.

Richmond Forward platform includes banning supervised injection sites, an arts and culture district at the City Centre Waterfront, and freezing city permit application fees.

The party’s councillor candidates are: Romeo Bicego, Howard Jampolsky, Shelley Leonhardt, Dr. Eric Yung, and Melissa Zhang.

Mei Kang

Action Richmond’s mayoral candidate is Mei Kang, the founder and owner of Happy May Education Centre, a child care centre.

The party’s platform includes safety, family, and promoting tourism in Richmond. Edward He is Action Richmond’s only councillor candidate.

Goldentiger King

Goldentiger King an independent mayoral candidate. He is a former TV series director, comedy-show host, model, actor, writer, and entrepreneur.

King’s campaign promises include public safety, “responsible AI and data-centre development,” and streamlining small business permits.

Dennet “The Cat Guy” Lee

Dennet Lee, also known as The Cat Guy, is an independent mayoral candidate and owner of the personal training gym Revelations Training Studio.

In 2024, he went viral for pushing two cats in a stroller at CF Richmond Centre in motorcyclist attire, earning him his title as “The Cat Guy.” Lee has not shared his plans for Richmond, but stated that “Richmond’s platform needs to be friendship.”

Alexa Loo

Two-time Olympic snowboarder Alexa Loo is running under the Richmond Strong banner. Loo was first elected as a city councillor in 2014, having served three terms.

The party’s platform includes establishing an agri-tech research hub in partnership with BCIT, prioritizing the North Arm Waterfront Park development, some AI-supported traffic signals, and a 30-year timeline for dike and flood protection.

Richmond Strong’s three councillor candidates are: Bob Basanti, Jeff Jiang, and Karen Novorr-Pezzuto.

Councillor and school board trustee candidates

Outside of the 14 councillor candidates running with a mayor, 41 more candidates are also on the ballot. 

Eligible candidates can cast their ballots on general voting day on Oct. 17. For more information, visit www.richmond.ca/city-hall/elections.htm.