1976 Hamilton mayoral by-election

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1976 Hamilton mayoral by-election
Flag of New Zealand.svg
 197424 April 19761977 
Turnout19,506 (48.76%)
  Bruce Craig Beetham (crop).jpg Ross Jansen (crop).jpg
Candidate Bruce Beetham Ross Jansen
Party Independent Independent
Popular vote9,7437,075
Percentage49.4936.27

Mayor before election

Mike Minogue

Elected Mayor

Bruce Beetham

The 1976 Hamilton mayoral by-election was held to fill the vacant position of Mayor of Hamilton in New Zealand. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Contents

Background

Incumbent mayor Mike Minogue resigned mid-term after he was elected to parliament as MP for Hamilton West in November 1975. Seven candidates came forward to succeed him. A by-election for a seat on the Hamilton City Council occurred concurrently after the resignation of Ian James Drabble, who had moved outside of Hamilton. [1]

Candidates

Seven candidates were nominated, the largest field of candidates for a mayoral election since 1950. The candidates were: [2]

Polling

Three telephone polls were conducted. [4] [5] [6]

PollDate Bruce
Beetham
Nicholas
Buysman
Ross
Jansen
Bruce
Mills
Ivan
Pearce
Matthew
Te Hira
The Times 5 April 197630.117.11.81.41.4
The Times13 April 197628.719.41.92.30.5
The Times21 April 197638.70.418.12.91.20.8

Results

The race quickly became a two-horse race between Beetham and Jansen. Both were attacked by other candidates for being allegedly partisan given Beetham's status as leader of Social Credit and Jansen's affiliation to the National Party. Both countered by saying they would not politicise the office of mayor. [7] The election resulted in Beetham ultimately winning. [8] May Woodcock, a local schoolteacher, won the vacant council seat. [9] Both Beetham and Woodcock were sworn in officially on 12 May. [10]

Mayoral by-election

1976 Hamilton Mayoral by-election [11] [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent Bruce Beetham 9,743 49.49
Independent Ross Jansen 7,07536.27
Independent Bruce Mills1,8219.33
Independent Ivan Peace5812.97
Independent Matthew Te Hira1660.85
Independent Nicholas Buysman530.27
Independent Archibald Henry Otton230.11
Informal votes440.22
Majority2,66813.67
Turnout 19,50648.76

Council by-election

1976 Hamilton City Council by-election [12]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Independent May Woodcock 6,150 31.56
Independent Raymond Webster Starr3,49417.93
Independent Ernest George Grylls3,36817.28
Independent David John Murray Peart2,52912.97
Independent Nicholas Buysman2,08610.70
Independent Gordon Batt1,1796.05
Informal votes6793.48
Majority2,65613.63
Turnout 19,48548.71

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References

  1. "Hamilton Mayoralty Poll Today". Otago Daily Times . 24 April 1976. p. 7.
  2. "Candidates for by-election". The Times . 23 April 1976. p. 2.
  3. "A previous Mayor speaks out in favour of Bruce Mills". The Times . 23 April 1976. p. 1.
  4. "Poll gives Beetham lead". The Times . 6 April 1976. p. 1.
  5. "Telephone poll shows Beetham still ahead". The Times . 14 April 1976. p. 1.
  6. "Beetham still leading — poll". The Times . 22 April 1976. p. 1.
  7. "'Vested interest, politics' alleged in mayoral race". The Times . 22 May 1976. p. 1.
  8. "Leader of Party Wins Mayoralty". The New Zealand Herald . 26 April 1976. p. 3.
  9. "Hamilton Woman Tops Poll". The New Zealand Herald . 26 April 1976. p. 3.
  10. Robson, Bill (13 May 1976). "New Mayor Installed in Office". The Times . p. 3.
  11. "Beetham stretches majority". The Times . 5 May 1976. p. 1.
  12. 1 2 "Declaration of Result of Election – Hamilton City". The Times . 5 May 1976. p. 32.