Editor's note: This story has now been changed as two candidates have withdrawn since Friday, Sept. 9.
Delta residents will have a lengthy list of names to choose from for the Oct. 15 municipal election.
Following the Friday, 4 p.m. deadline for candidates to file, three are on the list as the mayoralty candidates, while 13 are running to be councillors and 15 will be on the ballot vying to be school trustees. An official final list will be confirmed late Monday afternoon.
Delta residents will vote to elect one mayor, six city councillors and seven school trustees.
First elected in 2018, Mayor George Harvie last October announced his re-election bid. Then in May he followed that up announcing a full slate of six candidates for city council as well as seven for school board trustees under the Achieving for Delta slate.
Running against Harvie this time around are independents Peter van der Velden and Joginder Randhawa.
Harvie’s Achieving for Delta candidates includes: Daniel Boisvert and Jessie Dosanjh trying to make the switch from school board to council. Both were elected to the board in 2018 as part of the Achieving for Delta slate.
Also on his slate this year running for council are incumbent councillors Alicia Guichon and Dylan Kruger, who were first elected as part of Harvie’s slate in 2018, as well as Rod Binder and Jennifer Johal, both vying to be elected to council for the first time.
Also running for council is an array of independents including Dr. Maha Balakumar and Brian Read, who are running together, as well as Duncan Callander, Moneca Kolvyn, Julien Jacques (no relation to Optimist editor Ian Jacques), Stephen Sun and Pamela Swanigan. Matt Graves withdrew from the race on Monday.
Council is guaranteed to have a much different look as current councillors Dan Copeland and Lois Jackson, both members of Harvie’s slate in 2018, won’t be seeking re-election, as well as councillors Bruce McDonald and Jeannie Kanakos.
Meanwhile, the race for the school board sees current trustee and board chair Val Windsor, who previously ran as an independent, joining Harvie’s slate as a school board candidate, joined by incumbent Erica Beard, who was on the Harvie slate in 2018. Nimmi Daula, Ammen Dhillon, Masako Gooch, Maury Kask and Joe Muego are also on Harvie’s ticket hoping to make it onto the board for the first time.
Incumbent trustees Bruce Reid and Nick Kanakos are running again, joining forces under the Independents Working for You banner.
Also hoping to get on the school board for the first time are Nuno Antunes, Alisa Horth, Carmen Halpenny and Daniel Tonn, all under the ParentsVoiceBC banner.
Independents Andrea DeWolff and Whitney Saip Dyck are also hoping to get onto the board for the first time. Joseph Kurdziel withdrew from the race on Monday.
Advanced voting will take place Saturday, Oct. 1, Wednesday, Oct. 5, and Thursday Oct. 6.
The advanced voting will all take place from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Delta City Hall, South Delta Recreation Centre, North Delta Centre for the Arts and Pinewood Elementary.
Election night is Oct. 15.
Once elected, the mayor, city councillors and school trustees will serve a four-year term.
The Optimist will be rolling out its election coverage in the coming weeks in print and online.
Stay up-to-date on the campaign in the days ahead on our election page on our website at this link.
