Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta not seeking re-election in 2026

First elected in 1990, Ranta has been mayor of Cache Creek for 32 of the last 36 years. He lost to Santo Talarico in 2018 but returned to the mayor’s chair four years later in 2022. He said he made the decision not to run for another term following “careful consideration and discussions with his family.”

“That combined with 35 years being a Greyhound bus driver – 67 years of work in a lifetime I think is enough, and I think its time for somebody else to take the reigns,” Ranta added. “That’s why I made the announcement now so that there is time for the community to identify an appropriate replacement for me.”

Ranta is the longest-serving chair in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District’s (TNRD’s) history. He’s also a past-president of the Union of BC Municipalities, and was asked if there is an incident that stands out during his time as mayor.

“One of the significant things is the protest we put on when the province wanted to bring a bunch of avian-flu-infected chickens to Cache Creek,” Ranta said of the 2004 incident. “We protested on the highway and they eventually found a better solution in the long run by composting the chickens on the farms on which they passed away.”

More recently, Cache Creek has had to navigate several disasters – flooding in 2015, 2017, and 2023 and the 2017 Elephant Hill wildfire. Ranta said he’s proud of the “resilience and spirit demonstrated” by people in the community.

“Administration here in Cache Creek has been very good at applying for assistance from the provincial and federal governments and they’ve been rather successful at doing that,” he said.

Ranta said while there is “important work” still underway, including the completion of flood recovery projects, he is optimistic about the future of the community. He cited the recent announcement of the Quartz Road Bridge as a major milestone for safety, connectivity and resilience in Cache Creek.

Ranta will continue serving as mayor until the end of his current term in late 2026. The 2026 municipal election is scheduled for Oct. 17.

“Keep the best interest of the citizens you represent foremost on your mind and behave in a manner that’s going to give all the citizens who elected you the best possible opportunities in the future,” Ranta said, when asked if he has any advice to share with his successor.

“Cache Creek is a remarkable community and I will always be thankful for the friendships, experiences and opportunities that this role has provided.”

Editor’s note – This story was updated on May 25 with comment from John Ranta

by Victor Kaisar

Cache Creek Mayor John Ranta not seeking re-election in 2026

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