Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleCampbell River voters have returned Kermit Dahl for a second term as mayor, with the City’s certified results recording 5,171 votes for Dahl and 3,818 for challenger Andy Speck. The mayor and six councillors elected alongside him are scheduled to be sworn in at 7 p.m. Monday, November 2, at Tidemark Theatre.
Official results confirm Dahl’s re-election
The City of Campbell River completed its final review and declared the 2026 local election results official on October 21. Dahl received 5,171 votes, compared with 3,818 for Andy Speck — a margin of 1,353 votes. The City reported that 9,224 ballots were cast, representing approximately 29 per cent voter turnout.
One additional ballot changed some totals during the final review, the City said, but it did not change which candidates were elected.
Who was elected to Campbell River council?
Six councillors were elected for the 2026–2030 term:
- Laird Ruehlen — 5,334 votes
- Susan Sinnott — 4,508 votes
- Lucas Schuller — 4,402 votes
- Joëlle Samson — 4,197 votes
- Brittany Colville — 4,079 votes
- Ben Lanyon — 3,960 votes
From mechanic and business owner to mayor
Dahl’s campaign biography says he made Campbell River his home in 1985, spent 13 years working in the tire business at Fountain Tire, and later built Associated Tire with his son David. The biography identifies him as a mechanic and business owner. It says he was elected to Campbell River council in 2018 and became mayor in 2022.
The 2026 result gives Dahl a second term as mayor. His campaign presented the election as a request to continue work from the previous four years, while acknowledging that affordability, public safety and the ability of younger residents and seniors to remain in the community remain unresolved concerns.
What priorities did Dahl put forward?
Dahl’s campaign listed six priority areas: cost of living; taxes and spending; safety and recovery; recreation; industry and jobs; and seniors’ care and housing. Among the commitments on his campaign website were continued pressure for more long-term-care capacity, work with BC Housing and non-profit partners on seniors’ non-market homes, and further investment in recreation facilities and local industry.
Those are campaign positions, not decisions already adopted by the new council. The council will have to weigh them against the City’s budget, land-use authority, service responsibilities and the roles of provincial and federal governments.
Separate school trustee ballot error affected 140 ballots
The municipal election also included a separate ballot-instruction error in the School District 72 trustee contest. The Strathcona Regional District said instructions on ballots used during one Campbell River advance-voting opportunity incorrectly told voters they could select up to seven trustees instead of no more than five. Election officials confirmed that 140 Campbell River ballots were rejected for the school trustee portion because more than five candidates had been selected.
Officials said the instructions were corrected for the October 14 advance-voting opportunity and October 17 general voting day. After reviewing the vote difference between the fifth- and sixth-place trustee candidates and the number of rejected ballots, election officials concluded the error did not materially affect the School District 72 trustee election. The issue concerned the trustee portion of ballots, not the mayoral or city-council races.
New council begins work this week
The inaugural meeting and swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. November 2 at Tidemark Theatre, 1220 Shoppers Row. The City says the meeting is open to the public, with seating available first-come, first-served. The new council’s first regular meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. November 12 at City Hall.
The next term will put Dahl and the six councillors in charge of setting municipal budgets, local bylaws, land-use decisions and service priorities while responding to pressure over housing, downtown safety, recreation, infrastructure and the local economy.
Sources
- City of Campbell River: Official 2026 municipal election results and inaugural meeting details
- Kermit Dahl campaign: biography and stated priorities
- Strathcona Regional District: School District 72 trustee election ballot-error update
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving multilingual diaspora communities across Canada. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
