Election 2026: Oak Bay Mayor And Council Candidates

Oak Bay voters will head to the polls Oct. 17 to elect their mayor and council, with several familiar names seeking another term.

Voters will elect a mayor and six councillors to serve the next four years for the District of Oak Bay.

A total of 4,583 ballots were cast in Oak Bay in 2022, when the municipality had an estimated 14,132 eligible voters. That works out to a turnout of about 32.4 per cent.

Voting information

Advance voting will be open Wednesday, Oct. 7 and Wednesday, Oct. 14 at Monterey Recreation Centre at 1442 Monterey Ave. from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

On general voting day, Saturday, Oct. 17, the following polling locations will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Monterey Recreation Centre, 1442 Monterey Avenue
• Henderson Recreation Centre, 2291 Cedar Hill X Road

More information on voting requirements in Oak Bay is available here.

CHEK News also has a list of candidates running for mayor and council across Vancouver Island municipalities and regional districts, which can be found here.

The candidates nominated for Oak Bay mayor and council are listed below in alphabetical order by surname.

Mayor

Sam Holland

Holland is the lone challenger running against Murdoch in the 2026 mayoral race in Oak Bay. According to his campaign website, Holland is a community organizer who helped found transit advocacy group Better Transit and has worked with organizations including the BC Cycling Coalition.

His priorities include improving access to health care and affordable housing, tackling Oak Bay’s infrastructure backlog and property tax pressures, and expanding walking, cycling and transit options. Holland also wants to strengthen climate resilience, improve emergency preparedness and make municipal decision-making more transparent and efficient.

More information on Holland’s campaign can be found on his website here.

Kevin Murdoch

Murdoch is Oak Bay’s incumbent mayor and is seeking another term, which he says would be his last. He was acclaimed in the 2022 municipal election after no other candidates entered the mayoral race.

Murdoch says his campaign is focused on what he describes as stewardship, sustainability and solutions, with priorities including housing, infrastructure, community safety and the future of Oak Bay’s village centres. His platform also addresses property taxes, densification, heritage protection, reconciliation, environmental protection, transportation, elder care and the arts.

More information on Murdoch’s campaign and platform can be found on his campaign website.

Councillor

Hazel Braithwaite

Braithwaite is an incumbent Oak Bay councillor seeking re-election. She topped the council race in 2022 with 2,966 votes, or 64.7 per cent of ballots cast.

Her platform focuses on responsible stewardship, housing, infrastructure and long-term planning, deer management, transparency and engagement.

More information is available on Braithwaite’s campaign website here.

David Gleeson

Gleeson is seeking a seat on Oak Bay council. His campaign website lists his priorities as fiscal responsibility, sustainable growth, infrastructure and asset management, family and community.

More information is available on Gleeson’s campaign website here.

Cairine Green

Green is seeking re-election to Oak Bay council. She was re-elected in 2022 with 2,928 votes, the third-highest total among councillors.

Her campaign website says she is an advocate for “housing, good governance and public engagement” as well as fiscal accountability.

More information is available on her campaign website here.

Roxanne Helme

Helme is seeking a seat on Oak Bay council after unsuccessfully running in 2022, when she finished with 2,013 votes.

According to her website, her priorities are housing, infrastructure renewal, rigorous financial oversight and consultation with First Nations.

More information is available on her campaign website here.

Will Moore

Moore is seeking a seat on Oak Bay council.

His campaign platform focuses on inclusivity and communication, thoughtful growth through the Official Community Plan and fiscal prudence.

More information can be found on Moore’s campaign website here.

Esther Paterson

Paterson is seeking re-election to Oak Bay council after finishing the 2022 race with 2,157 votes, the sixth-highest total among councillors.

A campaign website was not available at the time of publishing.

Sarah Starkweather

Starkweather is running for a seat on Oak Bay council.

Her campaign priorities are listed as public finance, public services, housing, environment and climate, safer streets, reconciliation and community engagement.

More information can be found on her campaign website here.

Karin Sweeney

Sweeney is running for a seat on Oak Bay council.

Among her campaign priorities she lists reconciliation, inclusion, infrastructure and climate action, and the active transportation network.

More information is available on her campaign website here.

Katerina Weller

Weller is running for a seat on Oak Bay council.

A campaign website was not available at the time of publishing.

Find candidates for all municipalities and regional districts on Vancouver Island here.

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