Mayor Rob Howard's organization, formed for the 2026 election, whose five council candidates were all defeated
Richmond Forward, registered as the Richmond Forward Voters Society, is an elector organization for Richmond. It was formed in 2026 around Rob Howard's run for mayor. Howard, a councillor from 2001 to 2008 and then MLA for Richmond Centre, was elected mayor with 19,676 votes, 880 more than Alexa Loo. Its five council candidates finished nineteenth to twenty-third. Its platform, S.H.A.P.E., promises a ban on supervised injection sites, faster permits and more seniors housing, a value-for-money review, a freeze on permit application fees, and an arts and culture district on the City Centre waterfront.
WHO THEY ARE
About Richmond Forward
Elections BC's Register of Elector Organizations by Jurisdiction, dated October 30, 2026, lists the Richmond Forward Voters Society for Richmond, with no other names and the ballot name Richmond Forward. It names Rob Howard as the authorized principal official.
The City's declaration of September 21, 2026 lists Rob Howard for Mayor and Romeo Bicego, Howard Jampolsky, Shelley Leonhardt, Eric Yung and Melissa Zhang for Councillor. The City's official results of October 21, 2026 show Howard first with 19,676 votes, Loo second with 18,796 and Kash Heed third with 11,111. Leonhardt had 7,969 votes, Jampolsky 7,679, Bicego 7,536, Yung 7,511 and Zhang 7,311, places nineteen to twenty-three among 55 council candidates.
The address richmondforward.ca sends visitors to Howard's campaign site, robhowardformayor.ca, which carries the platform and the team pages. voche.me found no separate site for the organization.
Richmond News reported that Howard said public safety was the issue he heard about most while door-knocking and would be his first priority, and that he called the defeat of his whole team "bittersweet". The paper reported that Howard had endorsements from outgoing mayor Malcolm Brodie and former mayor Greg Halsey-Brandt.
Elections BC's scanned reports search listed no filing from the organization on October 30, 2026. The organization is new, so no earlier filing is due.
THE TEN ISSUES
Where Richmond Forward stands
Every party on this site is covered on the same four issues, so nothing is hidden by leaving a subject out. 3 of 4 have published policy behind them.
| Issue | Published position | Commitments |
|---|---|---|
| Housing | Richmond Forward's housing pillar promises to reduce costly permit wait times, to incentivize and fast-track seniors housing, to innovate to make housing more affordable, and to develop more options for seniors' services. Howard's statement to the City promises "attainable seniors' homes". The platform gives no number of homes and no target time for permits. | 5 |
| Budget | Richmond Forward's accountability pillar promises a value-for-dollar review, service targets and a public dashboard of key measurements for programs and services. Howard's statement to the City calls it an external value-for-money review to keep taxes low. The prosperity pillar promises economic development targets reported annually, a vision for a trade and exhibition centre, and incentives for commercial and industrial land. | 5 |
| Governance | Richmond Forward's safety pillar promises to ban supervised injection sites in Richmond, a "See Something? Say Something!" campaign, a stronger Block Watch program, support for the RCMP's D.A.R.E. program, and a safety audit 800 metres around schools. Its home page promises transparent, structured community advisory panels to shape policy and major City initiatives. Howard told the Richmond News public safety will be his first priority. | 5 |
| Schools | Nothing published, checked October 30, 2026 | — |
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
8 questions about Richmond Forward
How many seats did Richmond Forward win in 2026?
One: the mayor's chair. Rob Howard was elected with 19,676 votes, 880 more than Alexa Loo. Its five council candidates were not elected.
Who leads Richmond Forward?
Elections BC's register names Rob Howard, the mayor-elect, as its authorized principal official. The organization's platform and team pages are on his campaign site.
Does Richmond Forward have its own website?
The address richmondforward.ca sends visitors to robhowardformayor.ca, Howard's campaign site, which holds the platform and the team pages.
Richmond Forward Voters SocietyRichmond Forward Voters Society
What is S.H.A.P.E.?
The organization's five-pillar platform: Safety, Housing, Accountability, Prosperity and Engaging. Each pillar has a short list of promises, from a ban on supervised injection sites to an arts and culture district on the City Centre waterfront.
What does Richmond Forward promise on taxes?
A value-for-money review of City services to keep taxes low, service targets, a public dashboard, and a freeze on City permit application fees. No tax figure is given.
What does Richmond Forward promise on housing?
Shorter permit waits, seniors housing fast-tracked and incentivized, more options for seniors' services, and innovation to make housing more affordable. Howard promises attainable seniors' homes. No number of homes is given.
Does Richmond Forward have a plan for schools?
No. It ran no candidate for School Trustee and publishes nothing on the Board of Education. Its platform promises a safety audit 800 metres around schools.
Where can I see Richmond Forward's finances?
Elections BC has published no financial report from the organization so far. The report on the 2026 election is due within 90 days after voting day, and it will appear in Elections BC's Financial Reports and Political Contributions System.
Sources
A source marked SAYS SO ITSELF is the party's own material. It proves what the party claims, not that the claim is true.
- Register of Elector Organizations by Jurisdiction, as of October 30, 2026 Elections BC · published · checked
- Elector organizations: registration and financial reporting Elections BC · checked
- Financial Reports and Political Contributions System: local elections scanned reports search Elections BC · checked
- Declaration of Election by Voting, September 21, 2026 City of Richmond · published · checked
- Declaration of Official Election Results, October 21, 2026 City of Richmond · published · checked
- Candidate profile: Rob Howard, statement to the City City of Richmond · checked
- Candidate profile: Howard Jampolsky, statement to the City City of Richmond · checked
- Rob Howard For Mayor: home page SAYS SO ITSELFRichmond Forward Voters Society · checked
- Rob Howard For Mayor: Vision, the S.H.A.P.E. platform SAYS SO ITSELFRichmond Forward Voters Society · checked
- Rob Howard For Mayor: Team, with the launch release of May 26, 2026 SAYS SO ITSELFRichmond Forward Voters Society · published · checked
- Former top cop vies for council seat, ponders future run for Richmond mayor's chair Richmond News · published · checked
- Candidates coming forward for fall Richmond city election Richmond News · published · checked
- Slates announced for Richmond fall election Richmond News · published · checked
- Richmond election 2026: A complete list of local candidates Richmond News · published · checked
- Richmond Votes: 29 council candidates face off in debate Richmond News · published · checked
- Richmond Votes: Rob Howard elected Richmond's new mayor Richmond News · published · checked
- Richmond Votes: Five fresh faces on Richmond city council Richmond News · published · checked
- Richmond Votes: Municipal election turnout rises by 15K in 2026 Richmond News · published · checked
- Rob Howard narrowly wins Richmond mayoral race CTV News · published · checked
Compare Richmond Forward with the other five parties
Every party is covered on the same four issues. The comparison pages put them side by side, one issue at a time, with the source next to each position.