2025 Wellington City Council election
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The 2025 Wellington City Council election is an upcoming local election to be held from 9 September to 11 October in Wellington, New Zealand, as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Voters will elect the mayor of Wellington, 15 city councillors, and other local representatives for the 2025–2028 term. Postal voting and the single transferable vote voting system will be used.
The council introduced a Māori ward at the 2022 election; its future will be decided in a referendum on the issue, as part of a nation-wide series of referendums.
Key dates
[edit]- 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates will open
- 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates will close at 12 pm
- 9 September 2025: Voting documents will be posted and voting will open
- 11 October 2025: Voting will close at 12 pm and progress/preliminary results will be published
- 16-19 October 2025: Final results will be declared.[1][2]
Background
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2025) |
Māori wards referendum
[edit]In May 2021, the Wellington City Council voted 13-2 to establish a Māori ward,[3][4] with the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori ward first contested in the 2022 elections.
In July 2024, the National-led coalition government passed the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 which reinstated the requirement that councils must hold a referendum before establishing Māori wards or constituencies. In September 2024, the council voted 13-3 to affirm their decision to establish the Māori constituency, thereby triggering a referendum on the constituency to be held alongside the 2025 local elections.[5][6]
Campaign
[edit] | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2025) |
Mayor
[edit]Incumbent mayor Tory Whanau had announced she would run for a second term, but later changed her mind after Andrew Little entered the race.[7] Ray Chung would contest the election as the candidate from the Independent Together group.
Other candidates looking to contest the mayoralty include business owner Karl Tiefenbacher, former Wellington LIVE media owner Graham Bloxham, conservationist Kelvin Hastie, former city councillor Rob Goulden,[8][9] and former chartered accountant Alex Baker.[10][11]
Independent Together
[edit]Incumbent Wellington city councillor Ray Chung formed the Independent Together group to contest the election, with himself as the group's mayoral candidate. The group is campaigning on what they describe as their "five pillars"; these include a commitment to zero rates increases, getting council back to basics (focusing spending on water infrastructure, rubbish collection, parks, and roads), reducing council debt, improving transportation access to the city, rejecting party politics, and a safer Wellington.[12][13]
Lists of candidates
[edit]Incumbents not seeking re-election
[edit]- Teri O'Neill, councillor for the Motukairangi/Eastern ward since 2019[14]
- Tory Whanau, not seeking re-election as Mayor, but seeking election in the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward.[15][16][17]
- Nīkau Wi Neera, councillor for the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori ward since 2022[17]
Mayor
[edit]| Candidate | Ticket (if any) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Baker | Independent | Former chartered accountant, also running for councillor in the Motukairangi/Eastern ward[10] | |
| Graham Bloxham | Former owner of Wellington LIVE media[18][8] | ||
| Ray Chung | Independent Together[19] | City councillor since 2022, and mayoral candidate in the 2022 election[8] | |
| Rob Goulden | Former city councillor[8] | ||
| Josh Harford | Silly Hat Party[20] | Joke party candidate[21] | |
| Kelvin Hastie | Conservationist and mayoral candidate in the 2022 election[8] | ||
| Andrew Little | Labour[22] | Former Labour leader and cabinet minister[23][24] | |
| Pennywize the Rewilding Clown[25] | [21] | ||
| Karl Tiefenbacher | Businessman and founder of icecream brand Kaffee Eis[8] | ||
Councillors
[edit]Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori ward
[edit]Te Whanganui a Tara Māori ward will return one councillor to the city council.[26]
| Candidate | Ticket (if any) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Reweti | Labour | Previously ran in 2022[27] | |
| Tory Whanau | Green[28] | Incumbent mayor since 2022, seeking election in the Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward in 2025.[15][17] | |
Takapū/Northern General ward
[edit]The Takapū/Northern General ward will return three councillors to the city council.[26]
| Candidate | Ticket (if any) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ben McNulty | Labour[29] | Councillor since 2022 | |
Wharangi/Onslow-Western General ward
[edit]The Wharangi/Onslow-Western General ward will return three councillors to the city council.[26]
| Candidate | Ticket (if any) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joy Gribben | Labour | Former senior press-secretary to Jacinda Ardern[27] | |
| Rebecca Matthews | Green[30] | Councillor since 2019, previously as a Labour candidate[31] | |
Pukehīnau/Lambton General ward
[edit]The Pukehīnau/Lambton General ward will return three councillors to the city council.[26]
| Candidate | Ticket (if any) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afnan Al-Rubayee | Labour | Second time contesting the ward[29] | |
| Zan Gyaw[32] | Previously ran in the 2024 Pukehīnau/Lambton ward by-election[33] | ||
| Teal Mau | Independent | Hairdresser and former My Kitchen Rules contestant[34] | |
| Geordie Rogers | Green | Councillor since 2024 by-election[28] | |
Motukairangi/Eastern General ward
[edit]The Motukairangi/Eastern General ward will return three councillors to the city council.[26]
| Candidate | Ticket (if any) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Baker | Independent | Former chartered accountant, also running for mayor[10] | |
| Auimatagi Ken Ah Kuoi | Independent Together | Lawyer and former Education Review Officer[35] | |
| Sam O'Brien | Labour | Environmental policy advisor for GWRC[27] | |
| Jonny Osborne | Green[28] | Public policy expert and commentator. | |
Paekawakawa/Southern General ward
[edit]The Paekawakawa/Southern General ward will return two councillors to the city council.[26]
| Candidate | Ticket (if any) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nureddin Abdurahman | Labour[29] | Councillor since 2022 | |
| Laurie Foon | Green | Incumbent deputy mayor and councillor since 2019[28] | |
Results
[edit]Final results are expected by 19 October.
Summary
[edit]| Ward | Previous | Elected | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Tory Whanau (Green)[a] | to be determined | ||
| Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori | Nīkau Wi-Neera (Green) | |||
| Motukairangi/Eastern | Sarah Free | |||
| Teri O'Neill (Labour) | ||||
| Tim Brown | ||||
| Pukehīnau/Lambton | Iona Pannett | |||
| Nicola Young | ||||
| Geordie Rogers (Green) | ||||
| Takapū/Northern | Ben McNulty (Labour) | |||
| Tony Randle | ||||
| John Apanowicz | ||||
| Wharangi/Onslow-Western | Diane Calvert | |||
| Rebecca Matthews (Labour) | ||||
| Ray Chung | ||||
| Paekawakawa/Southern | Laurie Foon (Green) | |||
| Nureddin Abdurahman (Labour) | ||||
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| Result not yet known | ||
| Total votes | — | 100.00 |
Other local elections
[edit]Voters in the city will also elect 8 members of the Greater Wellington Regional Council (5 councillors representing the city exclusively, 2 councillors representing parts of the city and parts of neighbouring Porirua City, and 1 Māori constituency councillor representing the wider region).[36] Depending on where they live in the city, voters will also elect members of two community boards (Tawa and Mākara / Ōhāriu), as well as members of the Hutt Mana Charitable Trust (which covers the northern suburbs of the city as well as neighbouring areas in the Hutt Valley and Porirua City).[37]
See also
[edit]- 2025 Porirua City Council election
- 2025 Upper Hutt City Council election
- 2025 Hutt City Council election
- 2025 Kāpiti Coast District Council election
Notes
[edit]- ^ Endorsed by the Green Party, ran as an independent in 2022
References
[edit]- ^ "Local body elections 2025". wellington.govt.nz. Wellington City Council. 24 September 2024. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ "Elections". www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ George, Damian; MacManus, Joel (11 March 2021). "Wellington City Council set to establish Māori ward next year". Stuff. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ "Council votes for Māori Ward in Pōneke". wellington.govt.nz. Wellington City Council. 13 May 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ Hunt, Tom (5 September 2024). "Wellington City Council passes Māori ward vote". The Post. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ "Wellington City Council votes to keep Te Whanganui-a-Tara Māori Ward". wellington.govt.nz. Wellington City Council. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ Waiwiri-Smith, Lyric (29 April 2025). "Tory Whanau drops out of mayoral race". The Spinoff.
- ^ a b c d e f Crimp, Lauren (31 March 2025). "Wellington local elections: Who's running for mayor?". RNZ. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ Hunt, Tom (19 May 2025). "Hint of seventh Wellington mayoral candidate to fight for bus lanes". The Post. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ a b c Hunt, Tom (9 June 2025). "Former chartered accountant, progressive takes Wellington mayoral race to seven". The Post. Retrieved 9 June 2025.
- ^ Gibbens, Krystal (9 June 2025). "Tory Whanau 'glad' to see new mayoral candidate Alex Baker enter race". RNZ. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ "Policy Pillars", Independent Together, archived from the original on 17 June 2025, retrieved 20 June 2025
- ^ Hunt, Tom (14 April 2025). "Wellington political group pledges no rates rises, can't say how". The Post. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ "Teri O'Neill not seeking re-election to Wellington City Council". Scoop. 4 March 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ a b "Watch: Whanau reveals why she's quit the Wellington mayoral race in exclusive video". NZ Herald. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ Dexter, Giles (29 April 2025). "Tory Whanau quits Wellington mayoral race". RNZ. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Ricketts, Emma (29 April 2025). "Tory Whanau drops out of Wellington's mayoral race". www.stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ Manera, Ethan (29 January 2025). "Wellington Live owner Graham Bloxham announces mayoral bid, sale of Facebook page". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 30 January 2025.
- ^ "Eleven candidates promise zero WCC rates increases". Wellington.Scoop. 10 April 2025. Retrieved 10 April 2025.
- ^ "News - Silly Hat Party". sillyhatparty.org.nz. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ a b "Campaign countdown: The week that was in Wellington's council". The Post. 21 June 2025. Archived from the original on 20 June 2025. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
- ^ "Andrew Little secures Labour mayoral nomination". RNZ. 28 April 2025. Retrieved 29 April 2025.
- ^ "Former Wellington mayors positive after Andrew Little announces bid for the job". Stuff. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
- ^ "Andrew Little to run for Wellington mayoralty". RNZ. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
- ^ "Rewilding clown announces candidacy for Wellington mayoralty". Wellington.Scoop. 15 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "Ward maps and boundaries". wellington.govt.nz. Wellington City Council. 17 March 2025. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Chin, Frances (6 April 2025). "Labour names final Wellington City Council ward candidates". The Post. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d Manera, Ethan (7 April 2025). "Greens back Tory Whanau for second term as Wellington mayor". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ a b c Manera, Ethan (7 April 2025). "'Needs a shake up': Labour struggles to find candidate to take on Tory Whanau". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
- ^ "Rebecca Matthews standing as a Green candidate for the WCC". Wellington.Scoop. 6 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
- ^ MacManus, Joel (22 April 2025). "Windbag: Andrew Little reshapes the Wellington mayoral contest". The Spinoff. Retrieved 28 April 2025.
- ^ "Wellington is not New Plymouth – WCC candidate". Wellington.Scoop. 15 June 2025. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ "Zan Rai Gyaw". wellington.govt.nz. Wellington City Council. 16 January 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2025.
- ^ Manera, Ethan (18 June 2025). "Former reality TV star running for Wellington City Council". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 18 June 2025.
- ^ Afemata, Mary (20 May 2025). "After nearly 30 years, Wellington could see a Pasifika councillor again". Stuff. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
- ^ "Representation arrangements". www.gw.govt.nz. Greater Wellington Regional Council. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
- ^ "About the Hutt Mana Charitable Trust | Our Origins". hmct.org.nz. Hutt Mana Charitable Trust. Retrieved 4 April 2025.