Controversial Wellington mayoral candidate Graham Bloxham quits race

Controversial Wellington mayoral candidate Graham Bloxham has announced he’s quitting the race before he’s even submitted his nomination.

Bloxham, known as the man behind community Facebook page Wellington Live, announced in January his intention to run for the capital’s mayoralty.

“I’ve decided to run for the exciting and fantastic role of the mayor of Wellington - of our stunning harbour capital ... I am actually super excited and positive. I can talk to anyone and won’t back down from bullying or hate/abuse. NO WAY [sic]”, Bloxham said in a statement at the time.

Since then he has hit headlines for allegedly failing to pay the IRD more than $5000 in tax and being arrested over a driving offence.

Controversial Wellington mayoral candidate Graham Bloxham outside the Wellington District Court.

Now, ahead of nominations closing for the Wellington mayoralty at midday this Friday, Bloxham has announced he no longer wants the job.

In a post on LinkedIn, Bloxham said he “will not be running for council or for mayor of the great city of Wellington”.

“After much research talking to the neighbour’s cat over the fence I feel I can do a much better job outside of council,” he said.

“I have looked back and tried to imagine what it might look like, and reflected on the impact on my family. Neither want to deal with the personal attacks on their father.”

When Bloxham first announced he wanted to run, he said he had sold the Wellington Live Facebook page to One Network Group, which he describes as a Wellington media organisation.

He said he is not a current owner or director of One Network Group and would not comment on who the new operator of the Facebook page is.

The companies register shows a Graham Harold Bloxham as the current sole shareholder of Wellington Live Limited through holding company In Your Pocket Media Limited.

There is no registered company named One Network Group listed on the companies register.

Bloxham is currently before the courts on a charge of failing to stop for police to which he is pleading not guilty. He is due to reappear next month.

Also running for the city’s top job is former Labour leader Andrew Little, current city councillors Ray Chung and Diane Calvert, businessman Karl Tiefenbacher, former KPMG and public service director Alex Baker, former councillor Rob Goulden, and conservationist Kelvin Hastie. There are fewer than three months until the election with voting closing on election day, October 11.

Ethan Manera is a New Zealand Herald journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 as a broadcast journalist with Newstalk ZB and is interested in local issues, politics, and property in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz.