Meng Foon is heading for his fifth term as mayor of Gisborne.
Preliminary results of the Gisborne District Council elections show Mayor Meng Foon leads the mayoralty by more than 4000 votes from his nearest challenger Gary Hope.
Mr Foon has 8613 votes, Gary Hope 4329 and Te Nguha Huirama-Patuwai 323.
At this stage it looks like there will be three new councillors - Meredith Akuhata-Brown, Amber Dunn and former councillor Larry Foster, who all are among the top nine polling council candidates.
Rehette Stoltz was the top-polling councillor with 5507 votes.
Leading the race for the eight other seats in the Gisborne City ward are Brian Wilson 5230, Manu Caddie 4937, Larry Foster 4609, Andy Cranston 4500, Craig Bauld 4356, Meredith Akuhata-Brown 3864, Amber Dunn 3856 and Alan Davidson 3784.
Two councillors look like they will lose their position on the council. City ward councillor Allan Hall trails ninth candidate and fellow incumbent councillor Alan Davidson by 79 votes.
In the Waipaoa ward, which has been amalgamated since the last election, sitting councillor Pamela Murphy, formerly Waikohu ward sitting councillor, trails Graeme Thomson, formerly Cook ward council representative, by 60 votes.
Bill Burdett wins the newly formed Matakaoa-Waiapu ward with 324 votes. Second is Kerry Kururangi with 244 votes. Third runner is Pierre Henare with 145 votes.
In the Taruheru-Patutahi ward incumbent councillor Roger Haisman leads Steve Scragg 759 votes to 542.
Pat Seymour was unchallenged in the Tawhiti-Uawa ward.
Preliminary results for the Tairawhiti District Health Board elections are yet to be released.
Wairoa also looks like it has a new mayor Craig Little is leading with 1632 votes with Derek Fox coming second with 889 and incumbent mayor Les Probert third with 328 votes.
The top six polling candidates for the Wairoa District Council in the preliminary results are Craig Little 1857, Chris Joblin 1768, Mike Bird 1733, Denise Eaglesome-Karekare 1720, Min Johansen 1455, Benita Cairns 1313. Next is Hine Flood with 1143.
- The Gisborne Herald