1959 Lower Hutt mayoral election

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1959 Lower Hutt mayoral election
Lower Hutt COA.jpg
  1956 17 November 1959 1962  
Turnout12,182 (38.82%)
  Percy Dowse, 1958.jpg No image.png
Candidate Percy Dowse George Wain
Party Labour Independent
Popular vote7,3724,501
Percentage60.5136.94

Mayor before election

Percy Dowse

Elected Mayor

Percy Dowse

The 1959 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Contents

Background

The incumbent Mayor, Percy Dowse, sought re-election for a fourth term. Dowse was opposed by George Wain who stood as an independent candidate. Dowse received a swing against the majority he won in 1956 against former councillor Will Giltrap. This confounded expectations as Wain had no previous civic experience and had only lived in the area for a few years. Just as in the previous election the Citizens' Association (whose tickets won no seats at the 1950 and 1953 elections) did not stand an official ticket of candidates and endorsed a slate of 10 independents while also recommending five of the sitting Labour councillors for re-election. The Ratepayer Independents polled far better than expected with nine of its candidates being elected and only six Labour councillors were re-elected (five of whom were endorsed by the Ratepayer Independents). Sam Chesney was the only Labour councillor elected without their endorsement. [1] The main talking point in the election was the council's finances. The Citizens' Association criticised Dowse and challenged him to resign over a NZ£75,000 loan for the second stage of the Maungaraki development. Concern over debt cut into Dowse's majority and helped the Ratepayer Independents win so many seats. [2]

The overall anti-Labour vote (which was consistent nationwide) was attributed to the unpopularity of the then Labour government. [3] Prime Minister Walter Nash (whose parliamentary seat encompassed Lower Hutt City) commented simply "We seem to have held the mayoralties" in reference that in Lower Hutt, Wellington and Christchurch Labour mayors were re-elected despite voters electing majority centre-right councils. [4]

Mayoral results

1959 Lower Hutt mayoral election [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Percy Dowse 7,372 60.51 -7.89
Independent George Wain4,50136.94
Informal votes3092.53+2.26
Majority2,87123.56-13.96
Turnout 12,18238.82-4.61

Councillor results

1959 Lower Hutt City Council election [6]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Trevor Young 8,582 70.44 +0.38
Labour James McDonald 8,425 69.15 -2.15
Labour Chen Werry 8,250 67.72 +0.42
Labour Jessie Donald 8,202 67.32 -1.01
Labour Wally Bugden 7,878 64.66 -0.07
Independent George Barker 7,439 61.06
Independent Alwin Atkinson 7,240 59.43 +13.98
Independent Cyril Phelps 6,896 56.60 +13.36
Independent Isaac Richard Robinson 6,778 55.63
Labour Sam Chesney 6,550 53.76 -16.39
Independent Donald Marshall Wilson 6,507 53.41
Independent Keith Thomas 6,415 52.65
Independent Dave Hadley 6,317 51.85
Independent William Davidson Smith 6,217 51.03
Independent Ray Torrie 6,182 50.74
Labour Wally Mildenhall6,11749.81-15.73
Labour Walter Fraser5,91548.55
Independent George Francis Oliver Thomson5,89448.38
Labour Alexander Murray5,84247.95-16.02
Labour Bert Sutherland5,80747.66-17.59
Labour William John Jarvis5,66046.46
Labour William Mouat McLaren5,65246.39-18.93
Labour Allan Patrick Ryan5,21942.84-15.95
Labour Joseph Stanislaus O'Brien5,01441.15
Labour William Riley4,90240.23-19.62

Notes

  1. "Independents Under Labour Mayors at Hutt and Petone". The Evening Post . 23 November 1959. p. 10.
  2. McGill 1991, pp. 171.
  3. "Anti-Labour Trend Was General". The Evening Post . 23 November 1959. p. 10.
  4. "Have Held the Mayoralties---P.M.". The Evening Post . 23 November 1959. p. 10.
  5. "City of Lower Hutt - Election of Mayor". The Evening Post . 1 December 1959. p. 2.
  6. "City of Lower Hutt - Election of Fifteen Councillors". The Evening Post . 1 December 1959. p. 2.

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