1992 Wellington City mayoral election

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1992 Wellington City mayoral election
Wellington Coat Of Arms.png
  1989 10 October 1992 1995  
Turnout57,157 (53.26%)
  FranWilde.png Helene Ritchie, 1986.jpg Ken Comber, 1978.jpg
Candidate Fran Wilde Helene Ritchie Ken Comber
Party Labour Independent Citizens'
Popular vote18,7959,7158,751
Percentage32.91%17.00%15.31%

Mayor before election

Sir Jim Belich
Labour

Elected Mayor

Fran Wilde
Labour

The 1992 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the held that same year. In 1992, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government roles including 21 councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Contents

The election saw Fran Wilde, the MP for Wellington Central, elected as the new mayor of Wellington replacing incumbent Sir Jim Belich who had retired after serving two terms. Wilde became Wellington's first female mayor, defeating former Deputy Mayor Helene Ritchie and her predecessor as MP for Wellington Central Ken Comber who ran for the Citizens' Association.

Background

The Citizens' Association made a surprise choice in their candidate for mayor. The association selection panel chose former National Party MP Ken Comber as its candidate ahead of the Citizens' leader on the council Les Stephens. Also vying for the nomination were Eastern Ward councillor Ruth Gotlieb, former councillor Bryan Weyburne and previous mayor Ian Lawrence. [1] Gotlieb ran for mayor regardless unsuccessfully, but was re-elected in the Eastern Ward as an independent. Weyburne was elected to the Western Ward and Lawrence to the Regional Council while Stephens was defeated in the Onslow Ward.

Following Jim Belich's decision to retire from the mayoralty, the Labour Party chose Wellington Central MP Fran Wilde as their candidate. Initially Eastern Ward councillor Nic Dalton was favoured to replace Belich though Dalton ruled himself out of contention for both the mayoralty and council. [2] [3] Attention then turned to Wilde's status as an MP with the prospect of her taking both a parliamentary and mayoral salary or the prospect of a by-election at taxpayer expense. Labour leader Mike Moore made known his preference for Wilde to remain in Parliament, offering to relieve her of portfolios to help with workload, although Wilde ultimately decided to resign from Parliament if elected mayor. [4]

Results

The following table gives the election results:

1992 Wellington mayoral election [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Fran Wilde 18,795 32.91
Independent Helene Ritchie 9,71517.00-10.12
Citizens' Ken Comber 8,75115.31
Green Stephen Rainbow 6,12210.71
Independent Ruth Gotlieb 5,85110.23
Independent David Bull4,6838.19-0.12
Independent Rana Waitai 2,6074.56
McGillicuddy Serious John Morrison2990.52-1.41
Private EnterpriseFrank Moncur1340.23-0.15
Communist League Patrick Brown1120.19
Independent Margaret Barry-Gellen880.15
Informal votes6321.10-1.54
Majority9,08015.88
Turnout 57,15753.26+3.32

Results by ward

Fran Wilde polled the highest in all seven of Wellington's electoral wards.

Wards won by Wilde
Fran WildeHelene RitchieKen ComberStephen RainbowOthersTotal
Ward# %# %# %# %# %#
Eastern3,24628.12,20019.01,90916.51,1259.73,09326.711,573
Lambton3,03543.273710.51,02014.51,01514.41,22117.47,028
Northern2,29529.01,81022.91,00612.76348.02,16027.47,905
Onslow2,15134.083813.21,10117.46009.51,64425.96,334
Tawa1,15324.692819.885618.33778.11,36629.24,680
Southern3,85637.01,90918.31,26012.11,30812.52,09620.110,429
Western3,04133.11,29114.01,59717.41,06011.52,21124.09,200
Total18,79532.99,71517.08,75115.36,12210.713,77424.157,157

Ward results

Candidates were also elected from wards to the Wellington City Council. [5]

Party/ticketCouncillors
Citizens' 6
Labour 5
Greens 4
Independent 6

See also

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References

  1. "Citizens pick Comber for mayoralty". The Dominion . 18 March 1992.
  2. O'Leary, Eileen (23 March 1992). "MP Wilde decides to contest mayoralty". The Evening Post .
  3. Morrison, Alistair (19 March 1992). "Labour toys with the Wilde card". The Dominion .
  4. "Moore wants Wilde to remain MP". The Dominion . 19 March 1992.
  5. 1 2 Bly, Ross (1992). City of Wellington: Local Body Elections, 1992 (Report). Wellington City Council.