Progressive Primary

VANCOUVER (Musqueam, Squamish and Tsieil-Waututh Territories) -

To whom it may concern,

Having successfully concluded the only contested mayoral nomination in the City of Vancouver ahead of the 2026 municipal elections, I noted with interest the proposal by Sean Orr and Pete Fry for a primary between our parties.

With only 241 days until the next Vancouver election, there is no time to waste in determining who will carry the banner to elect a Pro-Growth, Pro-Housing, Pro-Worker practical progressive majority in the Mayor’s Chair, the Council Chamber, and on Park and School Boards. 

To that end I have directed the OneCity Negotiations Committee to extend this offer of coordination and cooperation for a true Progressive Primary among our parties under the following principles:

• OneCity, COPE & Greens must all accept & compete in the Progressive Primary for it to proceed.

• Current Party Membership as of the date of this offer, will be eligible to vote, and it will be one member one vote, for a single candidate.

• The Primary must be concluded inside 45 days from today, so that the victor has 6 full months to campaign to earn the trust and win the votes of half a million Vancouverites before October 17th, 2026. 

• The parties may run either their nominee or their party brand if they have failed to select a nominee. 

• The election will be administered by a jointly agreed and appointed independent third party Chief Electoral Officer, who will administer the primary to the highest standards.

• Membership lists will be verified by an external, independent third party auditor to ensure all memberships are valid according to the bylaws of each party as of the date of this proposal.

• In solidarity, the costs of running this election will be shared equally by the parties, including membership verification, and it will be billed to and paid up front by each party to avoid any sharing of expenses.

• All parties entering the primary agree that all candidates except for the winning candidate will permanently withdraw from the 2026 Vancouver Mayoral Election. 

Ken Sim & his broken ABC Administration have been a disaster for Vancouver, we cannot afford to wait, and Vancouverites deserve clarity as to their options & the opportunities before them on October 17th.

We require an answer by no later than 11:30 am February 20th, 2026 and should you accept we are prepared to immediately move to appoint a Chief Electoral Officer who will implement a fair, independent, and transparent primary process.

We look forward to your acceptance and entrance into the Progressive Primary. 

William Azaroff
OneCity Mayoral Nominee