A prominent figure in Surrey politics has officially declared his intention to lead the city, setting the stage for a competitive 2026 municipal election. Former NDP MLA and city councillor Mike Starchuk has entered the race for mayor, arguing that Surrey needs a "professional" leader to address its most pressing challenges.
From Firefighter to Front-Runner: Starchuk's Political Journey
Mike Starchuk's path to this mayoral bid spans over a decade. He first registered the domain MikeForMayor.ca years ago, anticipating a future run. His political career includes serving as a Surrey city councillor in 2014, following a long tenure as a firefighter and chief fire prevention officer with the Surrey Fire Service. He later represented Surrey-Cloverdale as an MLA from 2020 to 2024 under the NDP banner, before losing his seat to Conservative Elenore Sturko in the last provincial election.
Starchuk believes his extensive frontline experience provides him with a unique, ground-level understanding of the city's complex issues. "His decades on the frontlines have given him a firsthand understanding of the complex challenges facing Surrey — and what the community needs to feel safe, supported, and heard," states his campaign biography.
A Three-Way Race Takes Shape
Starchuk now joins a growing field of candidates for the October 2026 election. He will face off against current Mayor Brenda Locke and Councillor Linda Annis, who announced her candidacy in September. In a direct challenge to his opponents, Starchuk told Postmedia, "I'm pretty sure I can do better."
He criticized the current political climate, suggesting the city has become a "laughing stock" for certain proposals and ongoing conflicts. He pointed to defeated ideas like building a canal through the city and the protracted battle over the Surrey Police Service as examples of poor governance. Reflecting on his time as an MLA watching city council, Starchuk said he was often "shaking my head on a daily basis" at the decisions being made.
Platform Focus: Safety, Housing, and Congestion
The core issues for Starchuk's campaign align with those of his rivals, centering on three major concerns for Surrey residents: crime and public safety, housing affordability, and traffic congestion.
On public safety, a top issue for voters, Starchuk proposes a different approach. He argues the conversation has been dominated by numbers—with one candidate promising 75 new police officers per year and the mayor demanding 150 immediately—without enough expert input. "I'm going to let the subject matter experts tell me what it is that they're needing," he stated.
He emphasized that communicating crises like the extortion-related shootings plaguing local businesses should be led by public safety professionals, not politicians. Starchuk is running under the Imagine Surrey banner and plans to announce his slate of council candidates in the coming months.
With his announcement in December 2025, Starchuk has positioned himself as a seasoned alternative, promising to restore a sense of competent and collaborative leadership to Surrey's highest office. The 2026 election is shaping up to be a pivotal moment for British Columbia's largest city by population.
