Provincial election guide: Candidates running in Saanich South

The Saanich South electoral district covers the northern and western portions of the District of Saanich, including the communities of Cordova Bay, Prospect Lake, Royal Oak, Broadmead, Strawberry Vale, Glanford, North Quadra and Blenkinsop Valley.

The riding was established in 1991 and has since been predominantly held by the BC NDP, except between 2001 and 2005 when the BC Liberals’ Susan Brice held the district’s seat in the legislature. 

Since 2009, the BC NDP’s Lana Popham has represented the riding for five consecutive terms as MLA for Saanich South.

In September, Popham announced she would not be seeking re-election and has since been replaced in the riding by Richard Zussman. 

Here are the candidates running to be the next MLA for the Saanich South electoral district:

Richard Zussman – BC NDP

Zussman is an award-winning journalist who worked as a legislative reporter for Global BC and CBC, and was president of the BC Legislative Press Gallery. 

In his career he covered major events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires and provincial elections.

Zussman has served on the boards of the Lakehill Baseball and Fastball Association and the Victoria Curling Club. 

He also served as Lieutenant Governor of the BC Youth Parliament, which promotes youth civic engagement. 

This is Zussman’s first time running as a candidate in a provincial election. 

Find information on the BC NDP’s platform here. 

Lisa Lapointe – BC Green Party

Lapointe is a longtime public servant, law graduate and former chief coroner of BC. 

From 2011 until her retirement in 2024, Lapointe served as BC’s chief coroner, overseeing the investigation of unnatural and unexpected deaths across the province. 

In this role, she advocated for evidence and public-health data to inform government decision-making. 

She holds a law degree from UBC, worked for the BC Public Service and served in a range of roles before joining the Coroners Service. 

Lapointe also worked with the Civil Forfeiture Office in her early career and has served as chair of the Canadian Forum of Chief Coroners and Chief Medical Examiners, as well as the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s Forensic Science and Technology Program Advisory Committee.

Currently, she serves as a board member of PHS Community Services Society, which provides housing, healthcare, harm reduction and health-promotion services to vulnerable and underserved people in Vancouver and Victoria. 

She is also a member of Moms Stop the Harm, has previously served on the Central Saanich Advisory Planning Committee and volunteered with hospice at Saanich Peninsula Hospital.

Though she has been involved professionally with the Province for a significant amount of time, this is her first campaign as a candidate to win a seat in the legislature. 

Find information on the BC Greens’ platform here. 

Cathie Ounsted – Conservative Party of BC

Ounsted has experience in community-building, business and financial oversight. 

She has served as a member of the Central Saanich Police Board, the Peninsula Co-Op board of directors, was elected to Central Saanich Council and most recently, served nine years on the Victoria Airport Authority board of directors.

Ounsted was first elected as a Central Saanich councillor in 2011 and served just one term. 

She also ran in the 2025 federal election in the Saanich-Gulf Islands riding, finishing in third place. 

Ounsted and her husband also operate a local accounting firm, Ounsted and Company. She is a former owner of Red Barn Market, was director of operations for Thrifty Foods and served as a reserve constable for VicPD.

She has served as a councillor locally, has run in a federal election and is now running as a candidate for the first time provincially. 

Find information on the BC Conservatives’ platform here. 

Voting information

Advance voting will take place from October 16th to 21st, with voting places open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time.

Final Voting Day is Saturday, October 24th, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Voters can confirm their electoral district and find voting locations through Elections BC.