--- title: "Heather Larson: elected School Trustee, Richmond 2026 | voche.me" canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/heather-larson" last_updated: "2026-10-31T17:02:47.498Z" meta: description: "Elected School Trustee in the Richmond 2026 election with 18,086 votes, 2nd of 28 (official count). Heather Larson was re-elected to the Richmond Board of..." "og:description": "Elected School Trustee in the Richmond 2026 election with 18,086 votes, 2nd of 28 (official count). Heather Larson was re-elected to the Richmond Board of..." "og:title": "Heather Larson: elected School Trustee, Richmond 2026" "twitter:description": "Elected School Trustee in the Richmond 2026 election with 18,086 votes, 2nd of 28 (official count). Heather Larson was re-elected to the Richmond Board of..." "twitter:title": "Heather Larson: elected School Trustee, Richmond 2026" --- School Trustee · Richmond 2026 # Heather Larson - Elected, School Trustee18,086 votes, 2nd of 28. Official count, City of Richmond. [All results](https://voche.me/bc/richmond-2026/results#school-trustee) Re-elected school trustee of Richmond on October 17, 2026, with 18,086 votes, second of 28 trustee candidates. A trustee since 2018 and the Board of Education's chair in 2023-24, she ran with the Richmond Education Party and promised to keep the district's diversity, equity and inclusion policy, to advocate for safe schools, for students with disabilities and for English language learner funding, and for accessible schools and playgrounds. Heather Larson was re-elected to the Richmond Board of Education on October 17, 2026, with 18,086 votes in the City's official count, declared on October 21, 2026, second of 28 candidates for the seven seats. The City's declaration of election by voting prints Richmond Education Party as her elector organization; her colleague Ken Hamaguchi topped the count. The Richmond Sentinel reported her first election in October 2018, fourth with 13,258 votes, and Richmond News her re-election in 2022 with 13,475 votes. Richmond News reported that she was acclaimed chair of the Board for 2023-24, and the Board's post of November 2024 says Hamaguchi succeeded her. On her VoteMate page she promised to keep the district's diversity, equity and inclusion policy, to advocate for safe schools, for students with disabilities and diverse needs, for sufficient English language learner funding and for the rights of trans people, and to maintain and add accessibility in every school and playground. In the statement she gave the City she said she worked in the school district for more than 20 years. Explore priorities Campaign links Researched by voche.me · Not a campaign-authored page Richmond Education Party2026 ![Heather Larson, from Richmond Education Party.](https://voche.me/bc/richmond-2026/images/candidates/heather-larson-640.webp) *Heather LarsonSchool Trusteev.* [Image: Richmond Education Party](https://richmondeducationparty.ca/candidates/heather-larson) Promise tracker ## 12 promises. What Heather has done since. Tracked since October 18, 2026. Every change of status links to the vote, motion or report behind it. -
No action yet**Keep the district's diversity, equity and inclusion policy**Inclusion · Own promise On her VoteMate page she promised to keep advocating for all students by maintaining the integrity of the district's diversity, equity and inclusion policy and mandate. > “I promise to continue to advocate for all students by maintaining the integrity of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy and mandate.” No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**Create or amend policies that protect trans people in schools**Inclusion · Own promise On her VoteMate page she wrote that the district must advocate for trans rights and public services, and continue to create or amend policies that protect the rights of trans individuals, because every child, youth or adult has the right to be physically and emotionally safe in school. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**Keep advocating for safe schools**Safe schools · Own promise On her VoteMate page she promised to continue to advocate for safe schools in the district. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**Advocate for support for students with disabilities and diverse needs**Inclusion · Own promise On her VoteMate page she promised to advocate for the critical support students with disabilities and diverse needs need in order to succeed. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**Maintain and add accessibility in every school and playground**Facilities · Own promise On her VoteMate page she promised to continue the Board's work to maintain and create accessibility in all schools and playgrounds. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**Advocate for sufficient English language learner funding**School funding · Own promise On her VoteMate page she wrote that the district must continue to advocate for sufficient English language learner funding so immigrant families get the support they need. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**Work with partner groups on solutions to issues that arise**Board governance · Own promise On her VoteMate page she promised to work with partner groups to build healthy solutions to issues that arise. In the statement she gave the City she said she would keep advocating for students, staff and families while working to build strong, inclusive schools. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises (opens in a new tab), City of Richmond · candidate profile, Heather Larson (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**High-quality instruction and supports for every student**Programs · Party platform The Richmond Education Party's platform promises a school system where all learners, regardless of background, ability or pathway, have access to high-quality instruction, strong supports and opportunities that prepare them for success. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: Richmond Education Party · home page, with the five-area vision (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**Maintain and upgrade schools to be safe, seismically sound and technologically equipped**Facilities · Party platform The Richmond Education Party's platform promises a long-term commitment to maintaining and upgrading facilities so students learn in safe, seismically sound, technologically equipped buildings. It names no school and no date. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: Richmond Education Party · home page, with the five-area vision (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**Mental health, anti-racism and equity supports in every school**Inclusion · Party platform The Richmond Education Party's platform promises schools that foster belonging, celebrate diversity and provide mental health, anti-racism and equity supports so every student feels seen, supported and valued. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: Richmond Education Party · home page, with the five-area vision (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**Transparent, fiscally responsible and stable governance**Board governance · Party platform The Richmond Education Party's platform promises decision-making rooted in openness, fiscal responsibility and long-term planning, with consistent leadership and clear communication for families and staff. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: Richmond Education Party · home page, with the five-area vision (opens in a new tab).
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No action yet**Partnerships to expand child care and enrich programs**Programs · Party platform The Richmond Education Party's platform promises collaboration with families, educators, community groups and local organizations to expand child care and enrich programs. It names no number of spaces. No vote or decision on this promise yet. Where the promise was made: Richmond Education Party · home page, with the five-area vision (opens in a new tab).
01 / Introduction ## About Heather Larson Heather Larson was re-elected to the Richmond Board of Education on October 17, 2026. The City's official count gives her 18,086 votes, second of 28 candidates for the seven seats, 1,391 behind Ken Hamaguchi and 324 ahead of Rod Belleza. The City's declaration of election by voting of September 21, 2026 prints Richmond Education Party as her elector organization. Richmond News reported on October 19, 2026 that she said voters told her they were confused by the 28 names, that she has no objection to change as long as it is for the right reason, that trustees must work within the board's set processes, and that new members can bring fresh perspectives. The Richmond Sentinel reported on October 30, 2018 that she was elected to the Board for the first time on October 20, 2018, fourth with 13,258 votes, after 19 years as an educational assistant, buyer and homestay coordinator in the district, from which she retired in 2013. Richmond News reported in September 2018 that she joined the new Richmond Education Party slate, in October 2022 that she was re-elected with 13,475 votes, and in October 2022 that she called the district's sexual orientation and gender identity policy one aligned with the BC Human Rights Code. In November 2020 she was acclaimed the Board's representative to the BC School Trustees Association, Richmond News reported. Richmond News reported on January 5, 2024 that she was acclaimed chair of the Board for 2023-24 at the meeting of November 22, 2023, after Debbie Tablotney declined the nomination, with Hamaguchi as vice-chair. The Board's post of November 21, 2024, read through the Internet Archive, says Hamaguchi was elected chairperson for 2024-25, succeeding her. Her organization's page says she was vice-chair in 2025-26; voche.me could not read the Board's site to check that. By her own account, in the statement she gave the City and on her organization's page, she worked in the Richmond School District for more than 20 years, including 13 years as an educational assistant, four in purchasing and four as homestay coordinator in the international program, and in her first term chaired the Board's education committee and sat on its sexual orientation and gender identity advisory committee and on City committees. The Richmond Sentinel's 2018 report describes the same district jobs. voche.me has not checked these with the district. Read the sources 02 / The issues ## Priorities & positions Campaign-source summary Summarized from the campaign’s published profile. These are stated positions, not an assessment of results or a complete platform. 01 ### Keep the diversity, equity and inclusion policy, and protect trans students On her VoteMate page she promised to keep advocating for all students by maintaining the district's diversity, equity and inclusion policy, to advocate for trans rights, and to create or amend policies that protect trans people, because every child, youth or adult has the right to be physically and emotionally safe in school. [VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises ](https://www.votemate.org/c/14130?riding=797) 02 ### Safe and accessible schools On her VoteMate page she promised to keep advocating for safe schools and to maintain and add accessibility in every school and playground. Her organization's platform promises safe, seismically sound and technologically equipped schools. [VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises ](https://www.votemate.org/c/14130?riding=797) 03 ### Support for students with disabilities and English language learners On her VoteMate page she promised to advocate for the critical support students with disabilities and diverse needs need to succeed, and for sufficient English language learner funding to support immigrant families. [VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises ](https://www.votemate.org/c/14130?riding=797) 04 ### Working with partner groups On her VoteMate page she promised to work with partner groups on healthy solutions to issues that arise. In the statement she gave the City she said she would keep advocating for students, staff and families while building strong, inclusive schools. [City of Richmond · candidate profile, Heather Larson ](https://richmond.ca/electionservices/candidates/CandidateProfile.aspx?ID=68) 05 ### The Richmond Education Party platform Her organization's platform promises high-quality instruction and supports for every student, mental health, anti-racism and equity supports, transparent and fiscally responsible governance, and partnerships to expand child care and enrich programs. [Richmond Education Party · home page, with the five-area vision ](https://richmondeducationparty.ca/) [VoteMate, her promises](https://www.votemate.org/c/14130?riding=797) Research status ## What voche.me has checked Researched on 2026-10-30 through the seven search steps listed below: the City's candidate profile, results and declarations, the Richmond Education Party's home page and her page, her VoteMate page with her promises, Richmond News reports of 2018, 2020, 2022, January 2024 and of the 2026 campaign and result, Richmond Sentinel reports of 2018 and 2022, and the Board's post of November 21, 2024 through the Internet Archive. Her account of her district jobs, her committee roles and her year as vice-chair in 2025-26 comes from her statement to the City, her organization's page and her VoteMate page, and was not checked with the district; the Richmond Sentinel's 2018 report describes the same jobs. The Richmond School District's site (sd38.bc.ca) answers 403 to scripts, and the Internet Archive holds no copy of its trustee page for her or of its November 2021 post, so her votes at the Board and her earlier vice-chair year were not read. Her organization's Instagram account (richmondeducationparty\_2026) shows a login page to scripts, so no post was read. No Richmond News questionnaire page with her own answers for 2026 was found. 03 / Background ## Experience & community 2018 to 2026 ### Trustee, Richmond Board of Education The Richmond Sentinel reported her first election on October 20, 2018, fourth with 13,258 votes, and Richmond News her re-election on October 15, 2022 with 13,475 votes. [Richmond Sentinel · Larson ready to contribute as trustee, by Andrew Hung, October 30, 2018](https://www.richmondsentinel.ca/article-detail/520/larson-ready-to-contribute-as-trustee) 2023 to 2024 ### Chair, Richmond Board of Education Richmond News reported that she was acclaimed chair for 2023-24 at the Board's meeting of November 22, 2023. The Board's post of November 21, 2024 says Ken Hamaguchi succeeded her as chairperson for 2024-25. [Richmond News · New school board chair, vice-chair elected in Richmond, by Valerie Leung, January 5, 2024](https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/new-school-board-chair-vice-chair-elected-in-richmond-8064240) 1994 to 2013, by her own account ### Educational assistant, buyer and homestay coordinator, Richmond School District The Richmond Sentinel reported in 2018 that she had 19 years in the district as an educational assistant, buyer and homestay coordinator and retired from the homestay role in 2013. Her statement to the City gives 13 years as an educational assistant, four in purchasing and four as homestay coordinator. [Richmond Sentinel · Larson ready to contribute as trustee, by Andrew Hung, October 30, 2018](https://www.richmondsentinel.ca/article-detail/520/larson-ready-to-contribute-as-trustee) 04 / Questions & answers ## Questions for the candidate Proposed questions for a future interview. They have not been sent to the candidate, and no answers have been supplied. No questions and answers have been supplied. ### Have your own question? Ask Heather Larson directly. We send it to the campaign, and publish the reply here if we get one. 05 / About this page ## Questions about this page Facts voche.me can state about Heather Larson's page itself, answered directly rather than left blank.
How did Heather Larson do in the 2026 Richmond municipal election? Heather Larson was elected School Trustee with 18,086 votes, 2nd of 28 in the official count. The City of Richmond published the count, and every candidate's total is on the results page.
Is this an official page for Heather Larson? No. This page is researched by voche.me from public sources, listed below, and is separate from Heather Larson's own campaign.
What party did Heather Larson run with? Heather Larson ran for School Trustee with Richmond Education Party.
Does Heather Larson currently hold public office? Not according to this profile. voche.me has not listed a current public office for Heather Larson.
How many sources does this Heather Larson profile cite? This profile lists 24 sourced references, each with the date voche.me checked it, in the Sources section below.
Why do some questions on Heather Larson's page show no answer? The "Questions & answers" section on this page lists questions voche.me would put to Heather Larson in a future interview. They have not been sent yet, so the page says plainly that no answer has been supplied instead of leaving the section blank.
When was the election Heather Larson ran in? The 2026 Richmond municipal election, including the School Trustee race, was decided on October 17, 2026.
06 / Candidate contributions ## Space for campaign updates ### No campaign updates yet Announcements, event details and messages can be added here, with their source and publication date. No campaign submission has been added. ## Sources & transparency - [City of Richmond · Declaration of Official Election Results, October 21, 2026 ](https://www.richmond.ca/__shared/assets/2026_declaration_of_official_result79945.pdf)Checked October 30, 2026 - [City of Richmond · Election Results, 2026 General Local Election ](https://richmond.ca/electionservices/electionresults/Results.aspx)Checked October 30, 2026 - [City of Richmond · Declaration of Election by Voting, September 21, 2026 ](https://www.richmond.ca/__shared/assets/Declaration_of_Election_by_Voting_-_September_21__202679778.pdf)Checked October 30, 2026 - [City of Richmond · 2026 Candidate List ](https://www.richmond.ca/city-hall/elections/candidateslist.htm)Checked October 30, 2026 - [City of Richmond · candidate profile, Heather Larson ](https://richmond.ca/electionservices/candidates/CandidateProfile.aspx?ID=68)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond Education Party · home page, with the five-area vision ](https://richmondeducationparty.ca/)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond Education Party · Heather Larson, Candidate for School Trustee ](https://richmondeducationparty.ca/candidates/heather-larson)Checked October 30, 2026 - [VoteMate · Heather Larson, REP for Richmond, 2026 BC Local Elections, with her promises ](https://www.votemate.org/c/14130?riding=797)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · Slates, candidates vie for seats on Richmond Board of Education, 2026 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/2026-civic-election/slates-candidates-vie-for-seats-on-richmond-board-of-education-12709865)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · Richmond Votes, Column: Breaking down Richmond's school board candidates, October 2026 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/2026-civic-election/richmond-votes-column-breaking-down-richmonds-school-board-candidates-12840924)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · Richmond Votes: Five incumbents, two newcomers elected to Richmond school board, October 18, 2026 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/2026-civic-election/richmond-votes-five-incumbents-two-newcomers-elected-to-richmond-bc-school-board-12907486)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · Richmond Votes: Setting campaigns aside, Richmond trustees prepare for new term, October 19, 2026 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/2026-civic-election/richmond-bc-votes-setting-campaigns-aside-richmond-trustees-prepare-for-new-term-12911682)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · New school board chair, vice-chair elected in Richmond, by Valerie Leung, January 5, 2024 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/new-school-board-chair-vice-chair-elected-in-richmond-8064240)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · 6 Richmond school trustee candidates to run in 'progressive' slate, by Alyse Kotyk, September 18, 2018 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/election-2018-archive/6-richmond-school-trustee-candidates-to-run-in-progressive-slate-3083685)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · Pro-SOGI trustee candidates dominate Richmond school board, by Eve Edmonds, October 21, 2018 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/election-2018/pro-sogi-trustee-candidates-dominate-richmond-school-board-1.23471287)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · Bios: Richmond's school trustee candidates, 2018 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/election-2018/bios-richmond-s-school-trustee-candidates-1.23462180)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · Three new trustees elected to Richmond Board of Education, October 15, 2022 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/2022-civic-election/three-new-trustees-elected-to-richmond-board-of-education-5962336)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · Richmond trustee candidates asked about school closures, October 7, 2022 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/2022-civic-election/richmond-trustee-candidates-asked-about-school-closures-5926454)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond News · Richmond education board chooses new chair, by Maria Rantanen, November 25, 2020 ](https://www.richmond-news.com/local-news/richmond-education-board-chooses-new-chair-3145048)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond Sentinel · Larson ready to contribute as trustee, by Andrew Hung, October 30, 2018 ](https://www.richmondsentinel.ca/article-detail/520/larson-ready-to-contribute-as-trustee)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond Sentinel · Richmond election results in minimal change, by Hannah Scott, October 15, 2022 ](https://www.richmondsentinel.ca/article-detail/27708/richmond-election-results-in-minimal-change)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond Sentinel · Richmond's 2022 trustee candidates in their own words, September 30, 2022 ](https://www.richmondsentinel.ca/article-detail/27277/richmonds-2022-trustee-candidates-in-their-own-words)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond Sentinel · Meet Richmond's newly elected school board trustees, November 9, 2022 ](https://www.richmondsentinel.ca/article-detail/28493/meet-richmonds-newly-elected-school-board-trustees)Checked October 30, 2026 - [Richmond Board of Education · Board of Education Update: New Chairperson and Vice Chairperson Elected, November 21, 2024 (Internet Archive copy) ](https://web.archive.org/web/20260509130205/https://sd38.bc.ca/2024/11/21/board-of-education-update-new-chairperson-and-vice-chairperson-elected/)Checked October 30, 2026 Missing information does not imply a candidate’s position. [Read our editorial standards.](https://voche.me/bc/richmond-2026/about) Campaign contact ## Campaign links & contact. Find the candidate’s website, social accounts and contact information. [Richmond Education Party, the organization's site](https://richmondeducationparty.ca/) ## View more candidates. [All candidate spaces ](https://voche.me/bc/richmond-2026/candidates) [School Trustee**Alice Wong**](https://voche.me/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/alice-wong) [School Trustee**Danny Chang**](https://voche.me/bc/richmond-2026/candidates/danny-chang) Candidate Q&A ## Ask Heather Larson a question. Give your name, email and question. We send it to the campaign, and publish their answer here if we get one. ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/bc/richmond-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.