Local elections 2025: Waipā District Council has 28 people vying for seats

The Waipā District Council building in Te Awamutu. Photo / Supplied

The countdown to the local elections is officially on, with candidate nominations now closed. In Waipā, 27 people have put their names forward to represent the district.

The race for the mayoralty will be a three-way battle with incumbent mayor Susan O’Regan standing alongside councillors Mike Pettit and Clare St Pierre.

St Pierre is also for one of the two Pirongia and Kakepuku ward seats, together with Les Bennett and former Hamilton City Council candidate Naomi Pocock.

The Cambridge ward, the district’s largest, has drawn 14 candidates for its four seats.

They are Aidhean Camson, Mike Cater, Cambridge Community Board chairwoman Jo Davies-Colley, Ian Hayton, Stuart Hylton, Pip Kempthorne, Karla Lugatiman, Dave Marinkovich, Stuart Matthews, former Waikato Regional Council chairman Barry Quayle, Don Sanders and Hope Spooner, as well as current councillors Philip Coles and Roger Gordon.

Seven candidates are standing for the three Te Awamutu and Kihikihi ward seats: they are Lyn Hunt, former councillor Graham Jull, former Te Awamutu Courier editor Dean Taylor, Te Awamutu Business Chamber chief executive Shane Walsh and previous council candidate Bernard Westerbaan, as well as current councillors Lou Brown and Marcus Gower.

Mike Montgomerie has secured the Maungatautari ward seat unopposed.

Two people are standing for Waipā’s one Māori Ward seat: current councillor Dale-Maree Morgan and Yvonne Waho.

Like other councils around the country, Waipā voters will also take part in a binding poll on whether to keep or remove the Māori Ward from 2028.

Te Awamutu-Kihikihi general ward councillor Andrew Brown will step down after 12 years on the council, having first been elected in 2013.

He will retire alongside fellow councillor Bruce Thomas.

There are 22 people competing for the 10 community board positions.

Voting papers will be sent from Tuesday, September 9. Voting closes at noon on Saturday, October 11.

In the 2022 local election, 40.4% of Waipā residents voted.