Regardless of who become the next mayor of Whangārei today - Alex Wright, Sheryl Mai or Tony Gordon - the district's ward seats will have around a quarter of new councillors.
Regardless of what happens in the race to be Whangārei's next mayor today, about a quarter of Whangārei District Council's ward seats will have new councillors.
Three councillors are not seeking re-election today - Okara Ward's Stuart Bell stepped down earlier this year, while fellow Okara Ward representative Cherry Hermon
and Mangakahia-Maungatapere Ward councillor Sharon Morgan are not seeking re-election.
As well, long-time Bream Bay Ward councillor Phil Halse is now seeking a seat in the Okara Ward after moving into town. That means that four of the 13 ward seats will have new representatives.
Two-term mayor Sheryl Mai wants a third term and is being challenged by lawyer Tony Savage and road-sealing campaigner Alex Wright, who is also contesting the Hikurangi-Coastal ward. Incumbents Greg Martin and Anna Murphy, together with Shelley Anderson, Marie Minhinnick and Daron Turner, are the other candidates fighting for two seats in that ward.
Bream Bay councillor Shelley Deeming is taking on the likes of Ken Couper, Peter Grant, Olli Krollman, Tom (Tamihana) Paki and Iain Robertson.
