Local Elections 2025
The story so far
The storyline begins in early 2025 with the build-up to the October local elections, when Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson did not rule out a mayoral run and Mayor Wayne Brown then announced he would seek a second term.30 Jan 2025; 18 Feb 2025 In Wellington, former Labour leader Andrew Little launched a mayoral campaign, while rival candidate Ray Chung faced backlash over a 2023 email to councillors containing unsubstantiated rumours about Mayor Tory Whanau.17 May 2025; 11, 12 Jul 2025 Referendums in many districts, including Hawke's Bay, Taranaki and Marlborough, voted to remove Māori wards, with preliminary results showing 24 districts voting to scrap them and 18 to keep them.11, 12, 14 Oct 2025 Turnout fell to 32.65%, the lowest in 32 years, prompting calls for change, and several mayoral races were decided by very small margins.13, 17 Oct 2025
Latest
Kaipara's mayoral result (Jonathan Larsen by 21 votes) survived a recount bid after a judge found no irregularities, although more than 60 per cent of special votes were disallowed. In December a Manukau District Court judge voided the Papatoetoe subdivision local board election over voting irregularities and ordered a by-election.17, 24 Oct 2025; 3 Nov 2025; 16 Dec 2025
What's next
A by-election has been ordered for the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board, and members of the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Action Team are seeking legal advice on their options.16, 17 Dec 2025
Key moments
- Wayne Brown announces he will seek a second term as Auckland mayor.
- Ray Chung faces backlash over a 2023 email containing rumours about Tory Whanau.
- Andrew Little wins Wellington mayoralty as Auckland and Christchurch mayors are re-elected.
- Local election turnout falls to just over 32 percent, prompting calls for change.
- Helen Lash retains Westland mayoralty over Jacquie Grant by eight votes.
- Jonathan Larsen elected Kaipara mayor by 21 votes.
- Judge dismisses Snow Tane's recount application for the Kaipara mayoral election.
- Judge voids Papatoetoe local board election and orders a by-election.
Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.
Part of this topic
Earlier (14)
- Papatoetoe local board election voided
- Kaipara and Whangārei mayoral elections 2025
- Auckland mayoral election 2025
- Wellington mayoral election 2025
- Māori wards referendums 2025
- Close mayoral races in 2025 local elections
- Local elections 2025
- Hastings mayoral election 2025
- Rotorua mayoral race 2025
- Election vote counting and enrolment changes
- Invercargill mayoral candidate Andrew Clark
- Ray Chung email controversy, Wellington mayoral race
- Andrew Little Wellington mayoral campaign
- Auckland mayoral race 2025
Key people and organisations
- Wayne Brown Auckland Mayor
Ray Chung Wellington city councillor
Andrew Little Wellington mayor- Labour Party
Kerrin Leoni Auckland mayoral candidate and councillor
Tory Whanau Former Wellington mayor- Jonathan Larsen Kaipara mayor
- Karl Tiefenbacher Wellington mayoral candidate
- Snow Tane Councillor and Kaipara mayoral candidate
- Auckland Council
All stories
December 2025
- New election ordered for Auckland local board seats
- Judge voids Auckland local board election due to irregularities
+1 - Judge to decide if Papatoetoe local board election requires by-election
November 2025
- Police investigate 16 electoral fraud complaints in Ōtara-Papatoetoe
- Kaipara mayoral recount bid dismissed after high rate of rejected special votes
October 2025
- Mayor Wayne Brown sworn in at Auckland Council inauguration+4
- Incoming Wellington mayor outlines priorities ahead of swearing in
- Ben McNulty named as Wellington deputy mayor
- Judge rejects recount challenge for Kaipara mayoral election
- Snow Tane seeks judicial recount for Kaipara mayoral election
- Keshaan Te Waaka elected to Tararua District Council Māori ward
- Ken Couper elected as Whangārei mayor
- Jonathan Larsen elected Kaipara mayor by 21 votes
- New mayors elected across New Zealand in close local elections
- Kaipara councillors vote to lodge election process complaint
- Helen Lash retains Westland mayoralty by eight votes
- Kaipara mayor calls emergency meeting over alleged voting irregularities
+1 - Districts vote on Māori wards in 2025 local referendums
- Kaipara District records one of New Zealand's highest voter turnouts
- Christopher Luxon open to Electoral Commission running local elections
- Local election results show several tight mayoral races
- Westland mayoral race separated by only four votes
- Wayne Brown re-elected for second and final term as Auckland mayor
- Andrew Little begins term as new Wellington mayor
- Urgent calls for change as local election turnout falls+2
- Kaipara mayoral race remains too close to call
- Wendy Schollum claims Hastings mayoralty as vote count nears completion
- Taranaki voters vote to remove Māori wards from councils
- Whangārei and Kaipara mayoral races remain undecided after first results
- Trevor Maxwell elected to extend 48-year Rotorua council tenure
- Incumbents re-elected as Andrew Little wins Wellington mayoralty+1
- Voters in several districts vote to remove Māori wards
- Andrew Little elected mayor of Wellington+1
- Wendy Schollum leads Hastings mayoral race ahead of special votes
- Wayne Brown re-elected for second term as Auckland mayor+4
- Voting closes for 2025 local elections
- Voting closes for 2025 local body elections
- Polls close for 2025 local elections across New Zealand
- Voter turnout lags in Auckland and Christchurch ahead of election close
- Rotorua council issues warnings for ten electoral breaches
- Wayne Brown denies rates hike after profane response to lobby group
- Local election voting numbers higher than previous elections
- Wayne Brown tells lobby group to f*** off
September 2025
- Auckland mayoral voter turnout below 10 per cent with two weeks remaining
- Christopher Luxon calls for faster election vote counting
- Proposed law change could result in 55,000 disallowed votes
- Electoral Commission says proposed enrolment changes won't speed up counting
- Printing error leaves 27 candidate profiles missing from Hastings voting booklets
- Don Paterson calls for innovation in Rotorua mayoral race
- Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau plans to run for Parliament
- Unconventional candidates feature at Wellington mayoral election event
- Wayne Brown to seek more homelessness funding if re-elected
- Voters decide on Māori wards in local body elections
- Andrew Little leads in Wellington mayoral poll
- Wayne Brown holds commanding lead in Auckland mayoral polling
- Wayne Brown's name recognition aids Auckland mayoral re-election bid
- Wellington mayoral candidates face scrutiny during Chamber of Commerce debate
- Wayne Brown faces criticism at Auckland mayoral debate
- Andrew Little leads in first Wellington mayoral poll
August 2025
- Rotorua mayoral candidates participate in first debate
- Wayne Brown criticised for missing first Auckland mayoral debate
- Andrew Clark discusses frosty relationship with brother Nobby Clark
- Invercargill mayoral candidate Andrew Clark maintains he is fit for office
- Auckland mayoral candidate Kerrin Leoni unveils rates and spending pledges
- Auckland mayoral candidate reports abuse while putting up campaign signage
- Auckland local body elections expected to be highly contested
- Elisha Milmine elected unopposed to Hastings District Council
- Mayoral candidate Rob Goulden banned from future Taxpayers' Union events
- Brothers divided over Andrew Maxwell Clark's Invercargill mayoral bid
- Twelve candidates enter race for Auckland mayoralty
- Nobby Clark reacts to brother's dual mayoral bids
July 2025
- Concerns grow over candidate numbers for local elections
- Graham Bloxham withdraws from Wellington mayoral race+2
- Wellington Mayor accepts apology from councillor over disrespectful email
- Councillor Diane Calvert enters Wellington mayoral race
- Two more candidates quit Ray Chung's Independent Together group
- Ray Chung campaign event shut down by hecklers
- MPs condemn Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung over email
- Ray Chung faces condemnation over explicit email about Tory Whanau
- Ray Chung to remain in Wellington mayoral race after email controversy+1
- Ray Chung faces backlash over email containing rumours about mayor+2
June 2025
May 2025
- Andrew Little launches campaign for Wellington mayoralty
- Andrew Little launches Wellington mayoral campaign+2
February 2025
- Wayne Brown to seek second term as Auckland mayor
- Wayne Brown denies claims he would ask deputy to step down
January 2025
Coverage
- NZ Herald70
- RNZ58
- Stuff41
- The Post29
- 1News24
- The Press17
- Otago Daily Times11
- Newsroom4
- Waikato Times3