2024 Tauranga mayoral election

Last updated

2024 Tauranga mayoral election
  2019 20 July 20242028 
Turnout42,632 (38.77% [a] Decrease2.svg1.64 pp)
  Mahe Drysdale (cropped).JPG Greg Brownless (cropped).jpg
Candidate Mahé Drysdale Greg Brownless
Affiliation None [b] None [c]
Vote count
 First10,147
23.8%
5,785
13.57%
  Final (14th)16,606
38.95%

10,510
24.65%
(Decrease2.svg 7.70 pp)

2024 Tauranga mayoral election - first preference margin of victory by ward map.svg
Map of first preference margin of victory by ward

Mayor before election

none

Elected mayor

Mahé Drysdale

The 2024 Tauranga mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Tauranga as part of the 2024 Tauranga local elections. The election took place between 29 June and 20 July 2024, with the official results released on 25 July. It was the first election since the Minister of Local Government appointed a Crown Commission on 9 February 2021 to oversee all of Tauranga City Council's governance responsibilities. The election was held using the Single Transferable Vote system. [1]

Contents

Mahé Drysdale was elected as mayor.

Background

The last mayor, Tenby Powell, was elected to the office in October 2019 but resigned in November 2020, eight months after he was unanimously censured by his council for an angry outburst. [2] [3] Following further mayoral "outbursts," [4] [5] Powell publicly called for the Minister of Local Government to appoint a commission to replace the "dysfunctional" council. [6] [7] The decision to cancel the election for a new mayor and councillors, and the appointment of a crown commission instead by Local Government minister Nanaia Mahuta was not without controversy. A legal opinion by law firm Russell McVeagh found her decision may have been "unlawful" [8] and Tauranga MP Simon Bridges called the decision "dramatic and draconian", [9] while saying that Powell quitting removed "a significant source of friction" and it was reasonable to assume the council would become more functional with the election of a new Mayor and Councillors. [10]

The 2022 local elections were cancelled by the government and the commission will remain in place until an election for members of the Tauranga City Council is held on 20 July 2024. Additionally, the Minister also decided to postpone the 2025 local election in Tauranga until 2028. [11] The council elected in 2024 will thus serve a four year term, a first for New Zealand. [12]

Key dates

Key dates for the election are: [13]

Candidates

Candidate Ticket (if any)Notes
Tanya Bamford-King Independent
Aureliu BragutaIndependent
Greg Brownless Community Focus - Responsible SpendingMayor 2016–2019 [14]
Andrew CaieIndependent
Mahé Drysdale Olympic champion rower, grandson of former mayor Bob Owens [15]
Anthony Goddard
Chudleigh Haggett
Ria Hall Musician and television presenter [16]
Donna Hannah
BOP HoriAlso stood in 2016 [14]
Tim MaltbyOur Rates are too High
Jos NagelsVisionary Leadership, Not Repeatership
Douglas OwensIndependentFormer Bay of Plenty regional councillor. [14] Son of former mayor Bob Owens, uncle of Mahé Drysdale [15]
John Robson [17] Principled; Professional; DemocraticCouncillor 2013-2016, 2018-2021 [14] [18]
Tina SalisburyPeople and Progress over PoliticsDeputy mayor 2020–2021 [19]

Withdrawn

Results

The official results were released on 25 July, [24] showing Mahé Drysdale was elected as mayor. [25] Voter turnout was 38.77%, [25] which compares with a turnout of 40.28% at the 2019 election. [26]

2024 Tauranga mayoral election [25] [27]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1234567891011121314
Strong Accountable Leadership Mahé Drysdale 23.98%1014710172 10183 10213 10291 10405 10492 10620 10846 11106 11943 12755 14324 16606
Community Focus - Responsible SpendingGreg Brownless13.67%57855796 5803 5828 5869 5910 5977 6044 6118 6809 7576 8681 9764 10510
Ria Hall16.09%68086828 6858 6866 6872 6947 7022 7154 7496 7592 7731 7917 9077
People and Progress over PoliticsTina Salisbury12.04%50965104 5115 5132 5155 5247 5330 5523 5810 6144 6699 7388
Our Rates Are Too HighTim Maltby7.77%32873294 3303 3348 3439 3528 3689 3760 3854 4525 5087
Independent Douglas Owens8.29%35083514 3519 3537 3566 3591 3643 3692 3775 4145
Principled; Professional; DemocraticJohn Robson7.12%30123015 3021 3042 3058 3096 3168 3208 3271
Independent Andrew Caie3.01%12731278 1287 1293 1345 1427 1498 1646
Independent Tanya Bamford-King2.12%898898 909 914 946 985 1024
Real Leadership, Not RepeatershipJos Nagels1.86%789792 799 811 821 839
Anthony Goddard1.69%717723 729 738 777
Aureliu Braguta1.13%480481 488 493
Chudleigh Haggett0.55%237242 246
Donna Hannah0.34%145152
BOP Hori0.33%141
Valid: 42323  Spoilt: 129 + 180 blank  Quota: 1st iteration: 21,162; last iteration: 13,558  

    Notes

    1. of eligible voters
    2. Ran on the ticket "Strong Accountable Leadership".
    3. Ran on the ticket "Community Focus - Responsible Spending".

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