Add StudioX as a preferred source on GoogleVictoria voters have re-elected Marianne Alto for a second term as mayor, with the City’s certified results recording 13,505 votes for Alto and 10,531 for challenger Bruce McGuigan. Alto’s 2,974-vote margin gives her another four years at City Hall as the new council prepares to take office on November 5.
Official results confirm Alto’s re-election
The City’s Declaration of Official Election Results, certified October 21 by Chief Election Officer Curt Kingsley, records 13,505 votes for Alto. McGuigan received 10,531, followed by Mike Harris with 3,518. Alto’s margin over McGuigan was 2,974 votes.
Victoria reported 31,281 ballots cast, for turnout of 41.44 per cent. The mayor and eight councillors will serve a four-year term beginning November 5, 2026.
Who was elected to Victoria city council?
The eight councillors elected were:
- Stephen Hammond — 15,092 votes
- Matt Dell — 14,291 votes
- Marg Gardiner — 14,208 votes
- Jeremy Caradonna — 14,132 votes
- Melissa Cseszko — 13,971 votes
- Jack Sandor — 13,777 votes
- Wendy Bowkett — 13,545 votes
- Dave Thompson — 13,103 votes
Hammond, Dell, Gardiner, Caradonna and Thompson are returning councillors. Cseszko, Sandor and Bowkett are joining council for the first time.
Facilitator, business owner and longtime civic leader
The City’s biography describes Alto as a professional facilitator with university degrees in law and science and decades of involvement in community causes. She was first elected to Victoria City Council in 2010 and became mayor in 2022. Before entering elected office, she owned and operated a research and consulting firm focused on problem-solving, change management and facilitation.
Alto has also held regional roles with the Capital Regional District, BC Transit, the Victoria Regional Transit Commission and the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus. The City says she has worked with Songhees and Xwsepsum Nations through its City Family partnership and has chaired regional arts and performing-arts committees.
Housing, safety and community wellbeing remain central priorities
Alto’s 2026 campaign identified three central priorities: increasing the supply of homes people can afford, taking action on community safety, and investing in community wellbeing. Her campaign also pointed to transportation, parks, arts and culture, heritage, business support and regional policing as areas for continued work.
The City’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan, adopted July 3, 2025, was developed with an 11-member Community Leaders Panel convened by Alto. The City biography says she also brought Island Health and frontline service providers together to coordinate work on harm reduction, addictions and mental health. These initiatives form part of the record the mayor will be judged on during her second term.
Victoria-Saanich amalgamation question returned a Yes majority
The 2026 ballot also asked Victoria voters whether they supported the City of Victoria and District of Saanich becoming one municipality. The official results recorded 17,523 Yes votes and 10,890 No votes — 61.67 per cent in favour among ballots cast on the question.
The question was non-binding. It does not itself merge the two municipalities or authorize a referendum. The City says the Province had previously advised that a referendum would only be considered after further analysis of financial, transitional and service impacts, along with consultation with area First Nations. Any next step would therefore require further work by both municipalities and the Province.
New council begins its term November 5
Victoria’s inaugural council meeting is scheduled for November 5. The new council will take responsibility for municipal budgets, land-use decisions, local services and the next stages of housing, safety, transportation and regional planning work.
For Alto, the second term brings both continuity and a new council mix: five councillors are returning, while three newcomers will join the table. The election result gives her a clear mayoral mandate, but the policy choices ahead will depend on council votes, budgets and cooperation with regional, provincial, federal and First Nations partners.
Sources
- City of Victoria: Declaration of Official Election Results (PDF)
- City of Victoria: Mayor Marianne Alto biography and regional roles
- Marianne Alto campaign: 2026 priorities and platform
- Victoria Buzz: Alto’s re-election priorities
- City of Victoria: Election information and amalgamation question background
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
