Local elections 2025: Waikato positions on council, community boards draw in 78 nominations

Waikato District Council. Photo / Supplied

The countdown to the local elections is officially on, and candidate nominations have now closed. In Waikato, 31 people have put their names forward to represent the district as mayor or councillor.

The Waikato district mayoralty will be a two-horse race between incumbent Jacqui Church and former councillor and Hamilton by-election candidate Aksel Bech.

For the single vacancy in the Huntly General Ward, three people, real estate agent Michael Cresswell and former councillor Frank McInally, as well as current councillor David Whyte, put their names forward.

There are four people standing for the two vacancies in the Newcastle-Ngāruawāhia General Ward.

They are current community board member Dianne Firth, Grant Coombes and Ganga Sudhan, as well as current councillor Eugene Patterson.

Two people, Nicola Laboyrie and current councillor Lisa Thomson, are standing for the Whāingaroa General Ward seat.

The two seats in the Tamahere-Woodlands General Ward have drawn in the most nominations, with six people hoping to be elected.

They are Gurpreet Bassan, Act candidate Peter Mayall, former Cherry Blossom Festival organiser Anne Cao-Oulton and Mark Manson, as well as current councillors Crystal Beavis and Mike Keir.

In the Tuakau-Pōkeno General Ward, five people are standing for the two vacancies. They are former councillor and current community board member Stephanie Henderson, Fabio Rodrigues and Bronwyn Heath, as well as current councillors Kandi Ngataki and Vern Reeve.

There are three people standing for the Tai Raro Takiwaa Maaori Ward: Rosalie Ellis, former Hamilton mayoral candidate Donna Pokere-Phillips and Endine Dixon-Harris.

In the Awaroa-Maramarua General Ward, Amanda Rutherford and current councillor Peter Thomson are vying for the single seat.

Denise Dickinson and current councillor Marlene Raumati are standing for the Waerenga-Whitikahu General Ward seat.

Tai Runga Takiwaa Maaori Ward councillor Tilly Turner and Western Districts General Ward councillor Carolyn Eyre have been elected unopposed.

Current Newcastle-Ngāruawāhia councillor Janet Gibb is not seeking re-election.

The Tai Raro Takiwaa Maaori Ward councillor position is empty after previous councillor Paaniora Matatahi-Poutapu resigned from the position in June.

Waikato community boards

There are 32 seats to be filled across Waikato District’s six community boards. For these, 47 people put their names forward.

For the six positions at Huntly Community Board, 10 people have put their names forward.

They are Joy Tengu, Phil Amos, Jamie Parker, Frank McInally, Angela Floyed, Lafoaluga Sakaria, Sasha McGaughran, Eden Wawatai, Tracy Jones and Jasdeepak Sandhu.

For the six seats on the Ngāruawāhia Community Board, 10 people have put their names forward.

They are Dianne Firth, Kiri-Kahurangi Morgan, Ganga Sudhan, Jack Ayers, Angela Parquist, Alicia Sunnex, Venessa Rice, Dale-Maree Morgan, Steve Hutt and Keryn Hooker.

For the six seats of the Raglan community board, Ross Wallis, Nick Pearce, Nicola Laboyrie, Dennis Amoore, Satnam Bains, Peter Hampton, Chris Rayner, Eloise Rowe and Jasmine Hunter have thrown their hat in the ring.

For the Tuakau community board, Richard Gee, Christopher Betty, Davendra Kumar, David Henderson, Grace Tema-Liapaneke, Lee Watson, Peter Coleman and Rawhiti-Whenua Matena Ngataki have been nominated.

For the Taupiri Community Board’s four seats, Rosemary Spragg, Rebecca Lovell, Sharnay Cocup-Hughes, Shaun Munro, Carl Akaroa and Chris MacDonald are standing.

The Rural-Port Waikato community board has been elected unopposed. The representatives of the North Subdivision are Trish Murray and Leah Fry.

The representatives of the South Subdivision are Flee Coker-Grey and Jo-Ann Townsend.