Local elections 2025: Results for key Waikato battles

Progress results should come in from mid-afternoon. Photo / NZME

Who is leading the race to be elected Hamilton’s next mayor? That’s among the big questions to be answered as the first 2025 local election results are released today.

Voting across the Waikato region closed at noon. Progress results are expected from mid-afternoon.

Story continues after blog

Final results are not officially declared until later in the month, after all special votes have been counted.

In New Zealand’s fourth-biggest city, a new mayor will be elected as incumbent Paula Southgate steps aside “to make way for younger, emerging leaders”. She was elected mayor in 2019.

Twelve people are vying to take her place.

Three current councillors are in the mix: Maria Huata, Tim Macindoe and Sarah Thomson.

The other candidates are animal rights activist Lily Carrington, former Vision NZ Party candidate Rudi Du Plooy, social worker Jack Gielen, former K’aute Pasifika chief executive Rachel Karalus, researcher John Macdonald, previous council candidate Roger Stratford, strategic adviser Dave Taylor, finance manager Guy Temoni-Syme and retired constitution Treaty lawyer Roma Tupaea-Warren.

Forty people have put their names forward to represent the city as councillors.

There are 27 candidates standing for the six vacancies in Hamilton’s East ward, and 15 for the six West ward seats.

The Kirikiriroa Māori ward is guaranteed a new councillor, with Moko Tauariki not seeking re-election. Six candidates stood for the two seats.

The race for the Waipā District Council mayoralty will be a three-way battle with incumbent mayor Susan O’Regan challenged by councillors Mike Pettit and Clare St Pierre.

The Waikato District mayoralty is a two-horse race between incumbent Jacqui Church and former councillor and Hamilton byelection candidate Aksel Bech.

In South Waikato, seven people have thrown their hats in the ring for the mayoralty.

They are incumbent Gary Petley, David Barnes, Jeremy Hall, Zed Latinovic, Greg Mark, Joshua Michael Smith-Holley, and councillor Sandra Wallace.

In the Hauraki district, 20 people have put their names forward for council seats.

Three of those candidates are running for mayor: incumbent Toby Adams, Levi Burton and Roman Jackson.

Thames-Coromandel has six vying for the mayoralty, including incumbent Len Salt.

The other candidates are previous council candidate Steve Hart, Patrick Kerr, Denise Messiter, James Subritzky and current councillor Peter Revell.

Tom Eley is a multimedia journalist at the Waikato Herald. He previously worked for the Weekend Sun and Sunlive.