Vancouver Liberal Electors Association
Vancouver Liberal Electors Association | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Kareem Allam[1] |
| Founded | July 3, 2025 |
| Split from | ABC Vancouver |
| Ideology | Liberalism (Canadian) |
| Political position | Centre |
| Colours | Red |
| City council | 0 / 11 |
| Park board | 2 / 7 |
| School board | 1 / 9 |
| Website | |
| www | |
The Vancouver Liberal Electors Association,[2] commonly known as Vancouver Liberals, is a municipal political party in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is not affiliated with either the provincial BC United (formerly known as the BC Liberals) or the federal Liberal Party of Canada.[3][4]
The party was founded by political strategist and lobbyist Kareem Allam, the former chief of staff to ABC Vancouver leader Ken Sim.[5] He left his role in Sim's mayoral office in February 2023, following a dispute with the mayor.[6] Allam was the campaign manager for ABC Vancouver in 2022.[7] He was also the campaign manager for Erin O’Toole and Kevin Falcon's respective party leadership campaigns.[8] Sim filed a lawsuit against Allam in 2025 over alleged defamatory comments that claimed he had been pulled over by police for driving under the influence and used his position as mayor to cover it up. Allam announced that he will be the party's candidate for mayor in the 2026 Vancouver municipal election. He had endorsed the BC NDP in the 2024 provincial election, describing himself as an opponent of Trumpism and a supporter of big-tent political parties.[9][10] Park Board commissioner Scott Jensen joined the party in January 2026. School Board chair Victoria Jung announced that she would seek the party's nomination to run for city council in late January 2026.[11] On February 17, 2026, independent park board commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky announced that he had joined the party in advance of the 2026 elections.[12]
Current candidates
The party is running a slate of candidates in the 2026 Vancouver municipal election, scheduled for October 17, 2026.[13]
Mayor
- Kareem Allam
City council
- Devin Clemens
- John Coupar, former Non-Partisan Association Vancouver Park Board member and Conservative Party of British Columbia candidate in the 2024 British Columbia election for Vancouver-Little Mountain[14]
- Victoria Jung, the current chair of the Vancouver School Board
- Moira Stilwell, a physician and former provincial cabinet minister
- Armor Valor
- Jessica Walton, a political strategist and government copywriter
- Michael Wu, an entrepreneur
Park board
- Amanda Bains
- Brennan Bastyovanszky, the current Park Board commissioner and former chair
- Shayla Bird, joining the Vancouver Liberals to run as a Park Board commissioner
- Mark Halyk
- Scott Jensen, the sitting Park Board commissioner and the board's first Indigenous chair
School board
- Joshua Cameron
- Isabel Ochoa
- Ishi Dinim
- Darren Boidman
- Noosha Mehdian
References
- ↑ "Kareem Allam's apology related to East Hastings encampment". Vancouver Is Awesome. May 6, 2023. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ↑ "Vancouver has a new civic party — the Vancouver Liberals". Business in Vancouver. July 4, 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ↑ "New political party launched in Vancouver". CTV News. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ↑ "Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim sues former chief of staff for defamation". CBC News. Archived from the original on May 24, 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ↑ "From manager to rival: Kareem Allam eyes Ken Sim's job in 2026 election". theBreaker. June 10, 2025. Archived from the original on June 16, 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ↑ "Vancouver mayor's defamation lawsuit: responses filed". CTV News. July 3, 2025. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ↑ Fumano, Dan (May 4, 2022). "Early Vancouver 2022 election poll shows Stewart, Sim, Hardwick as most popular picks". Postmedia. Retrieved January 22, 2026.
- ↑ "Former ABC campaign manager to run for mayor of Vancouver in 2026". Urbanized.
- ↑ "Vancouver mayor's former chief of staff launches new political party". Vancouver Sun.
- ↑ "Why a Key BC Liberal Strategist Is Voting NDP". The Tyee. Archived from the original on October 28, 2024. Retrieved July 4, 2025.
- ↑ Fumano, Dan (January 18, 2026). "Ex-ABC Vancouver politician joins new civic party to seek re-election". Vancouver Sun. Postmedia. Retrieved January 19, 2026.
- ↑ "Vancouver Liberals add park board commissioner Brennan Bastyovanszky to team". The Georgia Straight. February 17, 2026. Retrieved February 20, 2026.
- ↑ "Candidates & Caucus". Vancouver Liberals. Retrieved August 25, 2026.
- ↑ "Former Park Board commissioner John Coupar to run for council with Vancouver Liberals". The Georgia Straight. August 6, 2026. Retrieved August 6, 2026.
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