Editorial: Exposure planned for 17 Whangarei candidates

The Denby election will be done by postal vote from November 16.

A day or so out from the deadline for candidate nominations for Whangarei's Denby byelection and no one was standing.

Come deadline day on October 11 and 17 people came out of the woodwork. Seventeen!

How many learned there was no one standing and at the last minute thought "I'll give it a go!"?

It doesn't matter - the key thing is that the candidates get exposure so that from November 15, Denby's 11,595 voters can start making informed choices, up until D (Denby) day on December 7.

The Northern Advocate will be profiling all candidates and is also organising a public meet and greet event in Kamo - in the heart of the Denby ward.

The vacancy has come about after Jayne Golightly resigned because she is not a New Zealand citizen. Ms Golightly stood on the Go Whangarei ticket, a party led by her partner, David Blackley.

So who will replace her?

Two candidates immediately stand out.

Matt Keene and Chris Leitch had to be among the unluckiest candidates at the 2016 local body election in Whangarei.

Leitch missed out on a place in the Okara ward by about 60 votes, just behind councillor Stu Bell.

Leitch's recent exposure during the central government election (he stood in Whangarei for Democrats for Social Credit) will help him out, as he jumps wards to try to secure a councillor spot in Denby.

Keene stood for mayor and a Denby councillor spot and ended up roughly 300 votes away from being selected in a tough ward.

Keene and political partner Ash Holwell (a recent Green candidate in Whangarei) impressed on the 2016 husting and the Whangarei IT expert who is also involved in local arts will endeavour to turn his past experience into votes.

Greg Shipton also stood at the 2016 election and Merv Williams has been here before, as a councillor, and will be touting his experience as a key factor in why he should get votes.

The 17 standing are: Geoff Abbott; Gavin Benney; Kathryn Darroch; Robert Diamond; Haydn Edmonds; Mike Henwood; Joby Hopa; Matt Keene; Chris Leitch; Huhana Lyndon; Kevin Newton; Hayward Norman; Yvette Poingdestre; Greg Shipton; Des Wallace; Merv Williams and Vanessa Wilson.