Richmond, B.C. – Current Richmond City Councillor Kash Heed has officially announced his candidacy for mayor in next year’s municipal election.
The former BC Liberal MLA, solicitor general, and Vancouver Police inspector made the announcement Thursday, positioning himself as a candidate for “change over maintaining the status quo.”
Heed outlined plans to restructure city operations into a “lean, efficient, cost-effective administration” where staff “receive clear guidance and are held accountable.” He also pledged to reduce closed-door meetings and to hold public referendums on major capital projects to ensure greater transparency and community involvement.
Heed, who was first elected to Richmond City Council in 2022, will be vying to succeed long-time Mayor Malcolm Brodie, who announced last month he will not seek re-election in October 2026.
Challenging Heed for the mayor’s chair is former NDP MLA Henry Yao, who lost his provincial seat to BC Conservative Hon Chan in the last election.
With Brodie’s departure, Richmond’s upcoming mayoral race is shaping up to be one of the city’s most competitive in years.