The City of Vancouver has elected its first Green mayor, Pete Fry, in a historic victory over incumbent mayor Ken Sim of ABC Vancouver. Fry secured a significant lead of over 16,000 votes as of 10:45 p.m. PCT, expressing gratitude to Vancouver residents for their trust and reaffirming his commitment to serving the city.
This election outcome marks a notable shift from the previous municipal election, where ABC dominated by electing all council candidates. However, current results indicate that ABC Vancouver may be reduced to just two councillors without representation on key city boards.
In his concession speech, Sim acknowledged the democratic decision made by Vancouver citizens, expressing support for Fry and pledging to assist him for the city’s success. Pre-election polls had indicated a close race between Sim and Fry, with other candidates withdrawing to prevent splitting the left-leaning vote.
Throughout the campaign, various parties actively opposed ABC, with COPE using the slogan “evict Ken Sim.” Sim, on the other hand, linked Fry to COPE Councillor Sean Orr, highlighting controversial social media posts by Orr. Sim’s tenure faced criticism for being overly political, including filing code of conduct complaints against opposition councillors and making false allegations against Orr.
Sim’s campaign focused on public safety, proposing plebiscite questions regarding new bylaws to address public drug use and the addition of an involuntary treatment facility at the upcoming St. Paul’s Hospital site. Results from the plebiscite are pending, reflecting the evolving priorities of Vancouver residents.