Hawke’s Bay local government elections 2025: 114 candidates and fierce competition ahead

Three Hawke’s Bay candidates will go through unopposed, Alwyn Corban (left) and Hana Montaperto-Hendry (right) for the Heretaunga Ward at Hastings District Council and Thompson Hokianga (centre) at Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for the Māui ki te Tonga Māori Regional Constituency.

Three councillors have been elected in Hawke’s Bay without the need to lift a campaign finger.

But a flurry of last-minute nominations has ramped up the battle for seats on all five of the region’s councils at this year’s local government elections.

In total, 114 candidates have put their names forward for election.

Alwyn Corban and Hana Montaperto-Hendry for the Heretaunga Ward at Hastings District Council, and Thompson Hokianga at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council for the Māui ki te Tonga Māori Regional Constituency are the three who go through unopposed.

For the rest, you can have your say on who represents your community by voting in the local elections from September 9 to October 11.

If you haven’t enrolled or need to update your address, you will now need to contact your council’s electoral officer, ideally before October 1.

The last day to enrol to vote is Friday, October 10.

Hastings District Council candidates

The most contested race in Hawke’s Bay this time around is for the Hastings-Havelock North ward of the Hastings District Council, where 17 candidates will vie for seven seats - too many to list in a single sentence here.

Hastings also has the most mayoral candidates at five, followed closely by Wairoa with four.

Sandra Hazlehurst is standing down after 15 years on council, the last eight as mayor.

Three councillors, Wendy Schollum, Damon Harvey and Marcus Buddo are vying for the mayoralty, along with newcomers Steve Gibson and Darrin Wilson. The two newcomers are also standing in the Hastings-Havelock North seat on council.

There are two candidates for the Flaxmere ward’s one seat, with Henare O’Keefe making a bid for a return after a term off.

He goes up against incumbent councillor Henry Heke. Both are well-known Flaxmere identities.

There are three new candidates for the Mohaka ward’s one seat, with Deputy Mayor Tania Kerr stepping down.

They are Putorino farmer Pagen Goldstone, Derek Nowell-Usticke, who has a background in agriculture and Kirsty Scott-McLean.

Zack Makoare and former Hawke’s Bay A&P Society general manager Elisha Milmine are vying for the Kahuranaki ward, however, Milmine may win before the campaign starts.

Makoare told Hawke’s Bay Today his circumstances had changed and he wouldn’t be running.

There are five candidates for the Takitimu Māori Ward’s three vacancies, including incumbents Kellie Jessup and Heather Te Au-Skipworth. The newcomers are Siiam Daniel, who is standing to normalise leadership for Māori for the next generation, Sarah Greening, who also ran in the 2022 elections and describes herself on LinkedIn as a health and safety and human resources officer, and Bevan O’Connor, a lawyer, owner of business VisaMax NZ and advocate for Māori rights.

Central Hawke’s Bay

It was a slow start in Central Hawke’s Bay with just six candidates on Thursday morning.

But when nominations closed at noon on Friday, the rural district had 20 candidates, including a former mayor, on the ballot sheet.

Two candidates are vying for the mayoral chains, incumbent Alex Walker is seeking a fourth term as mayor and Will Foley, farmer and former Hawke’s Bay Regional Councillor, his first.

CHB’s At-Large ward has four candidates for two vacancies.

Incumbent deputy mayor Kelly Annand and councillor Gerard Minehan are up against newcomers Stella McDonald, a retiree who has decided she now has time to give back to the community, and Meg Gordon, who says she thinks people are ready for a change and new perspectives.

The Ruataniwha ward has a healthy eight candidates for three vacancies.

They include incumbent councillor Pip Burne, former mayor and CHB dam backer Tim Gilbertson, freight business owner Todd Chote, who says he wants to help the district grow, and horse trainer Kirsty Lawrence.

Aramoana-Ruahine has four candidates with three standing councillors Kate Taylor, Jerry Greer and Brent Muggeridge. They will compete with newcomer, sheep and cattle farmer Simon F.H Collin. Collin, who lives in Flemington, says he now has the time and experience to put in to council. There are three seats.

Rautahi Māori Ward has two candidates, Te Ata Kura Huata, who wants to bring a Māori voice to CHB, and Amiria Nepe Apatu, who is currently sitting at the council table as its Pou Whirinaki Advisor. There is one seat available.

Napier

In Napier, residents will vote for their preferred mayor from three candidates - incumbent Kirsten Wise and two councillors, Nigel Simpson and Richard McGrath.

There’s plenty of competition for the Ahuriri ward with nine candidates for the three available seats, including three standing councillors, Keith Price, Sally Crown and Juliet Greig.

Newcomers include Roger Brownlie, an orchardist and retailer, who says he wants to bring community-focused leadership, and Lyndal Johansson, who works for Sport Hawke’s Bay, the New Zealand Transport Agency and as a volunteer.

The Napier ward has five candidates for three vacancies, including incumbent councillor Greg Mawson and newcomer Taiatini Lepaio who wants to be the voice for local communities.

Taradale has four candidates for three vacancies, with Ronda Chrystal seeking her third term, Graeme Taylor his sixth and semi-retired businessman Terry Cornish, his first.

The Te Whanga Māori ward has three candidates for two seats.

Whare Isaac-Sharland, who says she has a deep commitment to her people and Kirk Kia-Maia Leonard, who says he’s standing for council because it’s time for mana whenua (first home people) to be included in the decision making.

The third candidate is Shyann Raihania who says the Māori Ward seat is more than representation, it’s a strategic tool to drive solutions.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council

The Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has two candidates in its Wairoa Regional Constituency for one vacancy. Councillor Di Roadley is standing again. She is up against Kiri Rangirangi-Hamlin, who believes HBRC must expedite a plan to protect the township of Wairoa from further inundation events.

There are six candidates for Ahuriri/Napier with three vacancies.

Hayley Browne is seeking a seat after two terms on the Napier City Council and says she wants to work on the big issues, one of which is climate change.

Former HBRC councillor Paul Bailey is putting his hand up again. Bailey is well known for his anti-Ruataniwha dam campaign and is an advocate for the local environmental group, Wise Water Use Hawke’s Bay.

Chair Hinewai Ormsby is restanding, as is political veteran Neil Kirton.

Newcomer candidates are Louise Parsons, who was a spokesperson for her Eskdale community after Cyclone Gabrielle, questioning HBRC’s decisions and asking for answers, and Syed Khurram Iqbal, who, if elected, plans to redirect HBRC’s pollution prosecution funds and provide free nitrate testing for wells.

There are two candidates for one vacancy in Ngaruroro, councillor Jerf van Beek and farmer Marcus Ormond.

For the Tamatea/Central Hawke’s Bay Constituency, there are three candidates for one vacancy.

Tim Aitken is a Central Hawke’s Bay resident, farmer, and former district councillor.

Tony Kuklinski says he stood six years ago because he believed stopbanks needed maintenance and is standing again after HBRC’s efforts during Cyclone Gabrielle.

Keri Ropiha is also in the running, saying while she supports water storage, she does not support ratepayer funding for water storage without a referendum.

There are four candidates in the Heretaunga/Hastings for the three vacancies, two councillors, Jock Mackintosh and Sophie Siers and two newcomers, Conrad Waitoa and Bruce Mackay.

Mackay has been involved in water access and security for over a decade and says he has a broader understanding of the diverse values and priorities in the region.

Waitoa says he submitted his nomination on opening day because, the time was right to serve with energy, purpose and proven leadership.

For Māui ki te Raki Māori there are two candidates for one seat, Shelton White and Michelle McIlroy (nee Lewis).

White says he is standing because he is passionate and committed to the region.

McIlroy is standing as a strong Māori wāhine voice.

“Toitū te tiriti. Toitū te taiao.”

Wairoa

In Wairoa, deputy mayor Denise Eaglesome-Karekare is going up against incumbent Craig Little. The two other mayoral candidates are Camdin Gaskin and Kurawari Panere.

Two standing councillors, Jeremy Harker and Roz Thomas, are restanding in the General Ward and are joined by seven new nominations vying for just three seats. They are Sara Bird, Amber Forrest, Camden Gaskin, Stuart Harris, Sam Jackman, John Malis and Veronica Grace Tukaki.

There are also nine candidates for the Māori ward, including incumbent councillor Benita Cairns, for three seats. The new candidates are: Puti Cook, Marino Harker-Smith, Katarina Kawana, Kurawari Panere, Michelle Tahuri, Alison Tipu, Trevor Teotaia Hirini Waikawa and Esta Makere Wainohu.

Full candidate lists

NAPIER

Mayoralty

Richard McGrath (And also council)

Nigel Simpson (And also council)

Kirsten Wise

Ahuriri General Ward

Iain Bradley

Roger Brownlie

Louise Burnside

Sally Crown

Karl Goodchild

Juliet Greig

Lyndal Johansson

Ben Newport

Keith Price

Napier Central General Ward

Te Kira Lawrence

Taiatini Lepaio

Greg Mawson

Richard McGrath

Craig Morley

Taradale General Ward

Ronda Chrystal

Terry Cornish

Nigel Simpson

Graeme Taylor

Te Whanga Māori Ward

Whare Isaac-Sharland

Kirk Kia-Maia Leonard

Shyann Raihania

HASTINGS

Mayor

Marcus Buddo

Steve Gibson (And also council)

Damon Harvey

Wendy Schollum

Darrin Wilson (And also council)

Mōhaka General Ward

Pagen Goldstone

Derek Nowell-Usticke

Kirsty Scott-McLean

Heretaunga General Ward

Alwyn Corban

Hana Montaperto-Hendry

Hastings-Havelock North General Ward

Sayeed Ahmed

John Bennett

Michael Fowler

Gareth Freeman

Steve Gibson

Bernard Hickey

Rizwaana Latiff

Yvonne Lorkin

Lucie-Jane McElwee

Simon Nixon

Nick Ratcliffe

Rion Roben

Callum Ross

Jacqueline Supra

Debbie Ward

Kevin Watkins

Darrin Wilson

Flaxmere General Ward

Henry Heke

Henare O’Keefe

Kahurānaki General Ward

Zack Makoare

Elisha Milmine

Takitimu Māori Ward

Siiam Daniel

Sarah Greening

Kellie Jessup

Bevan O’Connor

Heather Te-Au Skipworth

WAIROA

Mayor

Denise Eaglesome-Karekare

Camden Gaskin (And also council)

Craig Little

Kurawari Panere (And also council)

General Ward

Sara Bird,

Amber Forrest

Camden Gaskin,

Jeremy Harker

Stuart Harris

Sam Jackman

John Malis

Roz Thomas

Veronica Grace Tukaki

Māori Ward

Benita Cairns

Puti Cook

Marino Harker-Smith

Katarina Kawana

Kurawari Panere

Michelle Tahuri

Alison Tipu

Trevor Teotaia Hirini Waikawa

Esta Makere Wainohu

HAWKE’S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL

Ahuriri/Napier

Paul Bailey

Hayley Browne

Syed Khurram Iqbal

Neil Kirton

Hinewai Ormsby

Louise Parsons

Heretaunga/Hastings

Bruce Mackay

Jock Mackintosh

Sophie Siers

Conrad Waitoa

Māui ki te Raki

Michelle McIlroy (nee Lewis)

Shelton White,

Wairoa

Kiri Rangirangi-Hamlin

Di Roadley

Māui ki te Tonga

Thompson Hokianga

Ngaruroro

Marcus Ormond

Jerf van Beek

Tamatea/Central Hawke’s Bay

Tim Aitken

Tony Kuklinski

Keri Ropiha

CENTRAL HAWKE’S BAY

Mayor

Will Foley

Alex Walker

At Large

Kelly Annand

Meg Gordon

Stella McDonald

Gerard Minehan

Ruataniwha

Pip Burne

Todd Chote

Tim Gilbertson

Murray Kenderdine

Kirsty Lawrence

Jenny Nelson-Smith

Ben Revell

Graham Stubbs

Aramoana-Ruahine

Simon Collin

Jerry Greer

Brent Muggeridge

Kate Taylor

Rautahi Māori

Te Ata Kura Huata

Amiria Nepe Apatu

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.