Western Bay of Plenty’s biggest 2025 election spender was Margaret Murray-Benge

Western Bay of Plenty Council councillors (from left) Allan Sole, Laura Rae, Rodney Joyce, Mayor James Denyer, interim chief executive Miriam Taris, councillors Graeme Elvin, Darlene Dinsdale, Grant Dally and Shane Beech. Photo / David Hall

Margaret Murray-Benge says she has “no regrets” from being the biggest spender on her campaign in October’s Western Bay of Plenty District Council election.

Among the 55 candidates, Murray-Benge spent the most on her campaign at $19,213.85, district electoral returns show.

While she did not win the mayoralty – voters re-elected James Denyer – Murray-Benge was elected for the Kaimai general ward with 2419 votes and chosen by Denyer to be deputy mayor.

Murray-Benge, who has spent almost 50 years in local government, said she deliberately approached this campaign differently from previous elections.

She believed the results showed it connected with voters.

Margaret Murray-Benge ran for mayor and a seat in the Kaimai ward for the Western Bay of Plenty District Council 2025 election.

Murray-Benge said she invested in a professional campaign team to help sharpen her message and improve her social media presence, including on Facebook.

In one video, she “answered some of the things people have been saying about me”: “Am I racist? Am I too old? Am I Don Brash in drag?”

Murray-Benge told Local Democracy Reporting that campaigns used to be “more traditional – meetings, flyers, word of mouth”.

She said the issues the region was facing were “far more complex and serious now”, and she felt a responsibility to communicate properly.

Having support allowed her to stay “focused on the issues”, such as rates increases, while sharing clear and accessible information with the community.

She said this strategy added to her campaign costs, but she had a budget and knew what she was prepared to invest.

“I have no regrets, and it was money well spent.”

She said she wanted to keep improving her communications, to help residents understand the decisions being made on their behalf.

Other expenses included brochures, a car wrap, signs, newspaper advertisements and social media advertising.

The next two biggest election expense bills also belonged to mayoral candidates who missed out on the top job.

Rodney Joyce spent $10,828.54 and was elected to the Katikati-Waihī ward.

Former council chief executive John Holyoake spent $9200.

At least 21 candidates did not declare any spending on their campaign.

Denyer declared the fourth-highest amount of spending on his campaign, at $6579.62. He received 4424 votes.

James Denyer was re-elected as the Western Bay of Plenty Mayor. Photo / David Hall

“I spent what I felt was necessary to reach the electorate,” he said.

“I’m happy with the result and was very pleased to have been returned as mayor.”

Denyer’s expenses included advertising in newspapers and on Facebook, billboards, posters and marketing support.

Local elections have spending limits for candidates based on population.

According to the 2025 Local Government Elections candidate handbook, the Western Bay of Plenty district had 60,790 residents, and mayoral candidates could spend up to $40,000.

The highest limit for ward candidates was $20,000 in Kaimai, with the highest community board limit being $14,000 for Katikati and Te Puke.

Each candidate was required to keep a record of all campaign expenses and submit a return to the Electoral Officer within 55 days of the election result being declared in October.

Manvir Singh Mann ran for election for the first time last year.

This election was Manvir Singh Mann’s first time running in an election, winning one of the two jobs he stood for.

He was elected unopposed to the Eastern Community Board Subdivision, but missed out on a Maketu-Te Puke ward councillor role.

Mann said the experience was “a bit of a buzz” and there had been a lot to learn.

He made a plan to get out door-knocking around his community to meet as many people as possible.

“I was still a stranger to most people.”

Mann spent $4262.50 on his campaign, using the money for signs, newspaper advertisements and flyers.

He said he drafted his budget after assessing prices and figured out what his target demographic was.

He said the older population tended to be more likely to vote, so he spent his budget on advertising to reach retirement villages and aged-care homes.

Due to his focus on the older population, he said, he did not worry about social media as much.

He started a Facebook page, but put his energy towards printed and dispersed advertising.

Despite missing out on the councillor seat, he believed his 1025 votes were “pretty good for a first timer”.

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

Ayla Yeoman is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based in Tauranga. She holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in communications, politics and international relations from the University of Auckland, and has been a journalist since 2022.