Some mayoral races were decided by five votes or less.
Some mayoral races were decided by five votes or less.
As little as four votes separated two candidates for mayor in the local government elections.
Almost 48 hours on from the close of voting, most New Zealanders will know who will be leading their local councils for the next three years.
Some results were too close to call at theweekend, but look to have now been settled in the preliminary results.
The Westland District Council mayoralty comes down to four votes, with 82-year-old Jacquie Grant appearing to narrowly beat out closest opponent and incumbent Mayor Helen Lash.
Grant has been living as a trans woman since 1971 and would become the first transgender mayor since Georgina Beyer as well as the country’s oldest mayor with victory.
Kaipara’s mayoralty race was just as close, with preliminary results showing that Jonathan Larsen beating Snow Tane by five votes.
Third place Jason Smith has a vote count 31 behind leader Larsen.
Whangārei‘s race for mayor was slightly less tight than those already mentioned, with independent Ken Couper provisionally elected ahead of second-placed Vince Cocurullo by 307 votes.
An extremely tight race in Hastings means the mayoralty will be decided by special votes.
Initial results had Wendy Schollum as the new Mayor of Hastings, winning 324 more votes than her closest rival Marcus Buddo.
Wendy Schollum has thanked Hastings for electing her as mayor.
However, Buddo chose not to concede at the weekend and waited for the final results.
Preliminary results have Schollum receiving 7007 votes, up nearly 900 from her initial 6177, and gives her a lead of 545 votes over Buddo.
Big upsets
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau will be out of office after she failed to win election for the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward, losing out to Labour’s Matthew Rewiti.
Whanau pulled out of the mayoral race after incoming Mayor Andrew Little decided to run. She said she would focus on returning as a councillor.
Incoming Wellington Mayor Andrew Little and former Mayor Tory Whanau. Photos / Mark Mitchell
This result brings an end to Whanau’s turbulent three years as mayor of the capital city, including false sexual rumours from other council members.
Elsewhere, a 24-year mayoral stint for Wayne Guppy comes to an end after his loss to challenger Peri Zee by 999 votes.
Wayne Guppy was first elected as Upper Hutt Mayor in 2001. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Other incumbent mayors to lose their positions include Dunedin’s Jules Radich who finished fourth, Sam Broughton in Selwyn who received more than 13,000 fewer votes than eventual winner Lydia Gliddon and Kirsten Wise in Napier.
Victor Luca in Whakatāne, David Trewavas in Taupō and Tracey Collis in Tararua also did not return as mayor.
