Zac de Vries holds the leading position in the Saanich mayoral race ahead of the October 17, 2026, election, driven by his eight years as a councillor and the recent endorsement from outgoing mayor Dean Murdock, who cited de Vries’s collaborative approach and executive experience on issues like housing affordability and regional coordination. The four-candidate field includes Rishi Sharma, backed by the Save Our Saanich elector organization, which faces organized opposition from the revived “Break the Slate” movement concerned about coordinated voting blocs and transparency. Karen Harper and Robin Morton Stanbridge remain lower-profile contenders. Trader consensus reflects de Vries’s incumbency advantages and late-campaign momentum in this non-partisan municipal contest, with limited polling data available to alter the implied probabilities before voting concludes.