Saanich’s open mayoral contest for the October 17, 2026 election features two sitting councillors—Zac de Vries and Karen Harper—plus Save Our Saanich nominee Rishi Sharma after incumbent Dean Murdock stepped aside. De Vries’s June campaign launch drew notable regional support while emphasizing housing, transportation and fiscal continuity; Harper and Sharma have positioned themselves around experienced local governance and community priorities such as controlled development and spending restraint. The concurrent non-binding amalgamation question with Victoria adds a layer of voter focus on regional governance and growth. With nominations closing September 11 and no dominant polling available, trader consensus reflects a closely matched field where platform differences on development, affordability and services have yet to produce clear separation.