Jerry Jiang
Running for Mayor of Waterloo
A tech entrepreneur and late entrant, running on flexible zoning for builders and on accountability after the region's water "secrecy pacts".
Background
He is best known locally as an entrepreneur, angel investor, and the founder of Akatos, Waterloo's first tech hacker house/founder residency. His primary focus has historically been building infrastructure for tech builders and startups. He filed as a late challenger in the October 26, 2026, Waterloo mayoral election.
Where they stand
Each position pairs what they say with what they did.
AI data centres
No public stance found
What they did:
No public stance on AI data centres was found in the research.
Environment
No environment platform found
What they did:
He has not yet released a detailed, standalone platform specifically breaking down traditional environmental policy issues like climate mitigation or carbon reduction.
Housing
Housing for builders
What they did:
He believes physical space dictates collaborative output. To combat standard housing constraints, he founded Akatos, a hacker residence in Waterloo designed to give founders and creators a dedicated environment to live, work, and collaborate. He publicly advocates that financial barriers shouldn't stifle talent. Through his initiatives, he offers housing scholarships so residents can focus on building rather than stressing over rent.
Land use
Flexible zoning for density
What they did:
He approaches land use through the lens of urban entrepreneurship, density for builders, and accessible housing infrastructure. His perspective acts as a disruptor to rigid municipal zoning laws, favoring more flexible, tech-forward, and investor-friendly land utilization policies aimed at modernizing the local tech ecosystem.
Policing
No public record
What they did:
There is currently no public record or documented statement detailing Jerry Jiang's specific views on policing.
Public funds
No public-funds platform found
What they did:
He has not yet released a detailed public policy platform regarding municipal tax allocations or public funds.
City of Waterloo candidate listWebsiteThe Record, list of 2026 candidates
Transit
No public stance found
What they did:
There is currently no publicly documented platform or specific stance on public transit for Jerry Jiang, a tech entrepreneur who filed as a late challenger in the October 26, 2026, Waterloo mayoral election.
Transparency
Against secrecy pacts
“Decide Everything Internally.”
What they did:
As a mayoral candidate, his platform aligns with community demands for accountability, targeting recent institutional secrecy — such as the Region of Waterloo's controversial nondisclosure "secrecy pacts" regarding local water resources. Jiang openly criticized political party nomination processes for lacking democracy and transparency. After attempting to run for a Liberal MP nomination, he publicly exposed how leadership handpicked candidates behind closed doors. He famously mocked this lack of transparency by saying their version of DEI stands for "Decide Everything Internally."
The Record, secrecy and the water crisisCTV, preview of the 2026 mayoral racesReddit
What they are promising
Their own platform, in their own words. Not checked against their record.
No platform document was found in the research.
Sources
- https://jerryjiang.com/
- https://ca.linkedin.com/in/jerrymjiang
- https://www.waterloo.ca/council-and-committees/municipal-elections/find-election-candidates/
- https://www.therecord.com/news/municipal-elections/list-of-candidates-for-the-waterloo-region-2026-election/article_819fb776-59ef-5b93-92e1-bc1d52916503.html
- https://www.ctvnews.ca/kitchener/article/preview-of-the-2026-mayoral-races-in-cambridge-kitchener-and-waterloo/
