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Marcus Lush elected to Invercargill City Council

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Newstalk ZB host Marcus Lush. Photo / Jason Oxenham

NZ Herald

Newstalk ZB's Marcus Lush has been elected to the Invercargill City Council.

Voting for the by-election closed at midday on Wednesday and results released at 1.30pm show Lush won with 7003 total votes out of the 13,991 which had been counted.

Lush said the public's spirits are low.

"A lot of people in Bluff and Invercargill have spoken to me and they seem pretty disillusioned with the council. It did concern me with what they had to say."

The 55-year-old has lived in the south for 18 years and said his passion lies in developing youth spaces and housing affordability.

Lush said he will continue with his nationwide show on Newstalk ZB Marcus Lush Nights if elected.

"I've made this decision with the approval of my bosses."

Deputy Electoral Officer Michael Morris said Lush received more than half of the votes counted.

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"While special votes still need to be counted, as well as any votes dropped off to our ballot boxes today, the margin between the candidates is significant enough that we are confident Mr Lush will be your next Councillor," Morris said.

Lush, whose talkback show airs on Newstalk ZB weekdays between 8pm and midnight, lodged his application just minutes before the deadline closed last month.

It comes after former deputy mayor Toni Biddle announced her resignation from the council in October.

Lush said he saw the opportunity and thought it would be a good one.

Full results:

Marcus Lush - 7003 votes

Wayne Harpur - 1457 votes

Simon Edwards - 1090 votes

Kevin Mulrooney - 1069 votes

Tom Downey - 967 votes

David Pootinger - 927 votes

Wade Devine - 849 votes

Carl Heenan - 418 votes

Bernadine Goldsmith - 144 votes