However, he took solace in the fact the party he believed in and stood for was first past the winning post, and that at 63 on the party list there is the very real chance that over the next three years he could get the call if two people step down.
"Hard to say what may happen."
Mr Walford was, at the end of the day, happy with the way he had gone about his campaign, although had taken note of what some people had told him - that he was not visible enough.
"But no, I don't believe I could have done anything differently."
He said he had door-knocked, gone on charity fund-raising programmes and simply tried to meet as many people as he could.
"And I did meet some great people and I thank them all for their support."
He said he would do it all again and had learned plenty from the campaign.
"If the party want me to stand again, then I will."
At this stage though he was simply weighing up his options for his immediate future.
He had left his role as chief executive officer at the Hawke's Bay Chamber of Commerce but said he was not sure about a return in that direction.
"There have been changes at the chamber - I will just wait and see at this stage."
He was also taking an interested "wait and see" stance as to where Mr Nash would take the city.
"Napier is the loser in this case because he will be in opposition - it will be uphill."
Mr Walford said he would watch with interest how Mr Nash, as a member of the opposition, would deal with his pre-election stands on the Napier-Gisborne rail link and amalgamation.
"And the other promises he has made.
"You have to be careful when you make promises - let's see if he can deliver."
He said cutting off his ponytail two and a half months before the election had helped his cause.
"If I had retained it [ponytail] I wouldn't have got to 10,000 votes." And neither does he intend to grow it back.
"To grow a ponytail includes a 12-month stage of sporting a fluffy, curly mess - it's a process I'm not keen to go through. I grew it when I was on the arts council, but in the corporate world it seems it's not appropriate. Besides, my wife says the new style makes me look younger."