Mario Cruz brings real estate and community experience to Richmond council race

ASM, Philippine Canadian Inquirer
October 09, 2026

Photo Courtesy: We Are Richmond

RICHMOND, British Columbia – After more than two decades working in real estate and years of involvement in community, faith and sports organizations, Mario Cruz is making a bid for Richmond City Council in the October 17, 2026 municipal election.

Cruz is running as an independent candidate for one of eight council seats. His nomination is included on the City of Richmond’s official candidate list, while current local-election records show no electoral organization affiliated with his candidacy.

His run for City Hall brings his professional experience in Richmond’s property market into a campaign focused on public safety, the local economy and a more responsive municipal government.

Cruz has spent more than 20 years in real estate and is a licensed Realtor in British Columbia. He currently operates through Mario Cruz Personal Real Estate Corporation and is affiliated with Richmond-based Maple Supreme Realty. Current REALTOR.ca and Realtylink listings identify Cruz as a Realtor and personal real estate corporation representative with the brokerage.

His real-estate business also has an established history in British Columbia. Provincial corporate records show Mario Cruz Personal Real Estate Corporation was incorporated in 2015, while a 2020 British Columbia Gazette notice identified Cruz as its president.

Outside his profession, Cruz has built connections through Filipino, faith-based, and recreational groups in Metro Vancouver.

His community involvement includes the Vancouver Diamond Lions Club, Ateneo Alumni of Vancouver, the Knights of Columbus, and Couples for Christ. Within Ateneo Alumni of Vancouver, he has been involved in basketball coaching, while his sports activities also extend to pickleball, where he is a Level 1 coach with the International Pickleball Teaching Professional Association.

Cruz’s Filipino-community connection has also been highlighted during the Richmond campaign. Mayoral candidate Dickens Cheung publicly named Cruz alongside Jenny Mata and Antonio “Tony” Ortega while recognizing the contributions of Richmond’s Filipino community and speaking about Filipino representation on council.

As an independent candidate, Cruz is campaigning on three main areas.

Community safety is one of his stated priorities, with his campaign calling for action addressing drugs, crime, and broader public-safety concerns.

On the local economy, Cruz wants to support Richmond businesses while encouraging the purchase of Canadian-made products.

His third focus is City Hall responsiveness, with an emphasis on making municipal government more accessible, accountable and responsive to residents.

Those priorities draw in part on Cruz’s career dealing directly with clients, property transactions and the Richmond real-estate market, while his community activities have placed him in Filipino, faith and recreational networks across the region.

The 2026 Richmond election features a large field of candidates seeking the city’s eight council positions. Voters will also elect one mayor and seven school trustees.

General voting day is Saturday, October 17, while advance voting will be available on October 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10.