2022 Rotorua mayoral election

2022 Rotorua mayoral election
Turnout	23,302
Mayor before election; Steve Chadwick ;	Elected mayor; Tania Tapsell ;

Last updated August 04, 2025

The 2022 Rotorua mayoral election took place on 8 October 2022 to determine the Mayor of Rotorua. Incumbent mayor Steve Chadwick did not run for re-election.

Candidates

Declared candidates

Kalaadevi Ananda, businesswoman^[1]
Raj Kumar, district councillor^[2]
Reynold Macpherson, district councillor^[3]
Ben Sandford, lawyer, former winter Olympian, and Labour candidate in the 2017 general election ^[4]
Fletcher Tabuteau, former New Zealand First MP^[2]
Tania Tapsell, district councillor^[5] and National candidate in the 2020 general election.

Declined to be candidates

Steve Chadwick, incumbent mayor^[2]
Dave Donaldson, deputy mayor^[2]
Todd McClay, National MP^[2]
Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, district councillor^[6]
Mercia Yates, district councillor^[2]

Results

2022 Rotorua mayoral election^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Tania Tapsell	7,362	31.59
	Independent	Ben Sandford	4,070	17.46
	Independent	Fletcher Tabuteau	4,043	17.35
	Independent	Raj Kumar	3,600	15.44
	Residents & Ratepayers	Reynold Macpherson	3,561	15.28
	Independent	Rania Sears	377	1.61
	Independent	Kalaadevi Ananda	289	1.24
Informal votes			29	0.14
Majority			3,292	14.13
Turnout			23,302
Registered electors

References

↑ "Rotorua mayoral race: Kalaadevi Ananda joins field of six candidates". Rotorua Daily Post. New Zealand Herald. 19 July 2022.
1 2 3 4 5 6 Desmarais, Felix (27 July 2021). "Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick to stand down after next election". RNZ.
↑ Desmarais, Felix (14 December 2021). "Reynold Macpherson running for Rotorua mayor in 2022 local election". Stuff.
↑ Sparks, Zizi (16 July 2022). "Ben Sandford, Rotorua lawyer, announces mayoralty bid". Rotorua Daily Post . The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 4 August 2025.
↑ Desmarais, Felix (10 May 2022). "Tania Tapsell to stand for mayor of Rotorua Lakes Council". Rotorua Daily Post. New Zealand Herald.
↑ Makiha, Kelly (8 August 2022). "Mayoralty consideration: Merepeka Raukawa-Tait mightn't only be eyeing Miss Rotorua crown". Rotorua Daily Post. New Zealand Herald.
↑ "Rotorua Lakes Council – 2022 Triennial Elections" (PDF). Rotorua Lakes Council. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.

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[1] "Rotorua mayoral race: Kalaadevi Ananda joins field of six candidates". Rotorua Daily Post. New Zealand Herald. 19 July 2022.

[stand_down-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Desmarais, Felix (27 July 2021). "Rotorua mayor Steve Chadwick to stand down after next election". RNZ.

[3] Desmarais, Felix (14 December 2021). "Reynold Macpherson running for Rotorua mayor in 2022 local election". Stuff.

[4] Sparks, Zizi (16 July 2022). "Ben Sandford, Rotorua lawyer, announces mayoralty bid". Rotorua Daily Post . The New Zealand Herald . Retrieved 4 August 2025.

[5] Desmarais, Felix (10 May 2022). "Tania Tapsell to stand for mayor of Rotorua Lakes Council". Rotorua Daily Post. New Zealand Herald.

[6] Makiha, Kelly (8 August 2022). "Mayoralty consideration: Merepeka Raukawa-Tait mightn't only be eyeing Miss Rotorua crown". Rotorua Daily Post. New Zealand Herald.

[7] "Rotorua Lakes Council – 2022 Triennial Elections" (PDF). Rotorua Lakes Council. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.

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