Several close contests have marked New Zealand’s local elections, with some familiar mayors re-elected and others replaced.
Early results show that Wayne Brown (Auckland), Tania Tapsell (Rotorua), Nick Smith (Nelson), Phil Mauger (Christchurch), and Ben Bell (Gore) will likely stay in office. Meanwhile, former Labour leader Andrew Little has been elected as Wellington’s new mayor.
Other current mayors such as Jules Radich (Dunedin), Kirsten Wise (Napier), Wayne Guppy (Upper Hutt), and Sam Broughton (Selwyn) appear to have lost their seats, though some results are still too close to confirm.
In Whangārei, Ken Couper has taken the lead from Vince Cocurullo, while in Timaru, Nigel Bowen has comfortably been re-elected. Kaipara District has one of the closest races, with just five votes separating the top two candidates. In Whakatāne, Nándor Tánczos has taken a narrow lead over the current mayor.
Rotorua’s Trevor Maxwell, known fondly as “Uncle Trevor”, is set to become New Zealand’s longest-serving councillor, having held his seat for 48 years and is likely to reach 51 years.
Some election stories were surprising. In Westland, 82-year-old Jacquie Grant could become New Zealand’s second transgender mayor. And in West Auckland, Jamaine Ross asked voters not to choose him so he could spend more time with his daughter.
Meanwhile, 25 councils have voted to remove Māori wards, while 17 have chosen to keep them. The final results, including special votes, are expected in the coming days.
