I'm Riley Thompson, and I'm running for Penticton City Council as an independent.

I was raised in Penticton. I'm 26 years old, an apprentice electrician at Betts Electric, and I rent downtown with my girlfriend, Kassandra. We want to raise a family here, and that's a big part of why I'm running; a lot of people my age are quietly wondering whether they can afford to stay in the city they grew up in.

I ran once before, in the 2025 byelection. I finished fourth, told the paper I would be back in 2026, and I filed on the first day nominations opened. In the year since, I have served as a voting member of the city's Public Safety Advisory Committee, where I read the reports, sit at the table, and see how these decisions actually get made.

I am an independent; no slate, no party. My priorities are straightforward: housing people can actually afford; real treatment for addiction, not just more shelter beds; and protecting the jobs and industry that pay for everything else. I also care about a downtown worth spending time in, and a city hall that tells residents the truth about what things cost.

I am a tradesperson, not a career politician. What I offer is someone who will have to live with the next twenty years of council's decisions, who reads the budget, and who will give you a straight answer even when it is not the popular one.

You can read my full platform at TimeForThompson.com.