2025 Hamilton City Council election
11 October 2025
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15 seats on the Hamilton City Council 8 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. | ||||||||||
The 2025 Hamilton City Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in Hamilton, New Zealand as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Voters elected the mayor of Hamilton and 14 city councillors for the 2025–2028 term of the Hamilton City Council. Postal voting and the single transferable vote system were used.
A finalised list of candidate names was released by the City Council on 4 August identifying 52 candidates, including 12 candidates for mayor.[1][2] Incumbent mayor Paula Southgate did not run for re-election.
Councillor Tim Macindoe won the mayoralty, with fellow councillor Sarah Thomson coming in second place.
The council introduced a Māori ward at the 2022 election. In a referendum on its future held at this election, as part of a nation-wide series of referendums, voters elected to keep the Māori ward.
Key dates
- 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates opened
- 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates closed at 12 pm
- 9 September 2025: Voting documents were posted and voting opened
- 11 October 2025: Voting closed at 12 pm and progress/preliminary results were published
- 16–19 October 2025: Final results were declared.[3][4]
Background
Positions up for election
Voters in the city elected the mayor of Hamilton and 14 councillors from 3 wards. They also elected several members of the Waikato Regional Council.[a][5]
Campaign
Better Hamilton was a group of candidates who jointly campaigned during the election campaign.[6]
List of candidates
Incumbents not seeking re-election
- Paula Southgate, mayor since 2019[7]
- Moko Tauariki, councillor for the Kirikiriroa Maaori ward since 2022[8]
- Ewan Wilson, councillor in the West ward since 2019[9]
- Kesh Naidoo-Rauf, councillor in the East ward since 2019[10]
Mayor
Incumbent mayor Paula Southgate is not running for re-election. Incumbent councillor and former National MP Tim Macindoe is contesting the election, as well as incumbent councillors Sarah Thomson and Maria Huata. Rachel Karalus is also running.
Councillors
Kirikiriroa Maaori ward
The Kirikiriroa Maaori ward will return two councillors to the city council.[11]
| Candidate[1][12] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jarrad Gallagher | None | ||
| Maria Huata | None | Incumbent councillor since 2024 by-election.[8][14][15] Also running for mayor. | |
| Lawrence Jensen | Independent | ||
| Robbie Neha | Independent | ||
| Andrew Lewis Pope | None | ||
| Jahvaya Watene Wheki | Independent | ||
West ward
The West ward will return six councillors to the city council.[11]
| Candidate[1][12] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paul Alforque | None | Lawyer and consultant.[16] | |
| Matthew Beveridge | Independent | ||
| Mark Flyger | Better Hamilton | ||
| Nidhita Gosai | ACT Local | Process safety engineer[17] | |
| Louise Hutt | None | Incumbent councillor[15][18] | |
| Mesh Macdonald | Better Hamilton | ||
| Allan James McKie | None | ||
| Graeme Mead | Better Hamilton | ||
| Angela O'Leary | Independent | Incumbent councillor and deputy mayor[15] | |
| Emma Pike | Independent | Incumbent councillor[15] | |
| Dave Taylor | None | Also running for mayor | |
| Geoff Taylor | None | Incumbent councillor[15] | |
| Sarah Thomson | Independent | Incumbent councillor,[15] also standing as a mayoral candidate | |
| Mike West | Better Hamilton | ||
| Roderick John Young | None | ||
East ward
The East ward will return six councillors to the city council.[11]
| Candidate[1][12] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rachel Afeaki | Independent | ||
| Stuart David Aitken | Better Hamilton | ||
| Andrew Bydder | Better Hamilton | Incumbent councillor[15] and architectural designer[19][6] | |
| Anna Casey-Cox | None | Incumbent councillor[15] | |
| Preet Dhaliwal | ACT Local | Hospitality business owner[17] | |
| Rudi du Plooy | None | Previously stood as a joint New Conservatives & NewZeal (formerly known as ONE Party) candidate in the 2022 Election for the Hamilton West electorate. Also running for mayor. | |
| Jack Gielen | The Peoples Voice | Former deputy leader for The Republic of New Zealand Party. Also running for mayor. | |
| Marie Hamilton | Independent | Ryan Hamilton, MP for Hamilton East representing the National Party is Marie's husband. | |
| Louise Rachel Harvey | New Zealand Constitution Party | ||
| Suhair Sabah Hassan | New Zealand Constitution Party | ||
| Horiana Henderson | Better Hamilton | ||
| Peter Humphreys | None | ||
| Tim Hunt | None | ||
| Jason Jonassen | Independent | ||
| Rachel Karalus | Independent | Also running for mayor. | |
| Leo Liu | Better Hamilton | ||
| Tim Macindoe | Independent | Incumbent councillor,[15] also standing as a mayoral candidate. | |
| Danielle Marks | None | Green Party endorsed.[20][21] | |
| Alexander Bruce McConnochie | None | ||
| John McDonald | Better Hamilton | Also running for mayor | |
| Sue Moroney | None | Previously a Labour Party list MP, 2005-2017[22] | |
| Jenny Nand | Independent | ||
| Jono Ng | Independent | ||
| Turi Robinson | Independent | ||
| Jamie Strange | Independent | Previously a Labour List MP and then MP for Hamilton East, 2017-2023.[22] | |
| Jackie Talbot | Independent | ||
| Maxine van Oosten | None | Incumbent councillor[15] | |
Results
With the final results, the following candidates were declared elected:[23][24]
Mayor
Councillor Tim Macindoe won the mayoral election, with Sarah Thomson coming second.[25]
Council
Kirikiriroa Maaori ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Iteration | Iteration quota | Votes received | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Maria Huata | 1 | 1,357.66 | 2,620 | elected | |
| Independent | Robbie Neha | 5 | 1,158.80 | 1,162.59 | elected | |
| Independent | Jahvaya Watene Wheki | 5 | 1,158.80 | 1,013.04 | excluded (seat filled) | |
| None | Jarrad Gallagher | 4 | 1,226.23 | 549.69 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Independent | Lawrence Jensen | 3 | 1,253.54 | 316.79 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Andrew Lewis Pope | 2 | 1,264.03 | 30.59 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Informal | 71 | |||||
| Blank | 69 | |||||
| Turnout | 4,213 | |||||
West general ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Iteration | Iteration quota | Votes received | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| None | Geoff Taylor | 1 | 2042.14 | 2628 | elected | |
| Independent | Sarah Thomson | 1 | 2042.14 | 2882 | elected | |
| Better Hamilton | Graeme Mead | 10 | 1982.24 | 2034.98 | elected | |
| Better Hamilton | Mesh Macdonald | 16 | 1919.49 | 2323.50 | elected | |
| Independent | Angela O'Leary | 18 | 1867.68 | 1935.89 | elected | |
| Independent | Emma Pike | 21 | 1842.41 | 1868.37 | elected | |
| None | Louise Hutt | 21 | 1842.41 | 1733.05 | excluded (seat filled) | |
| Better Hamilton | Mark Alexander Flyger | 15 | 1946.66 | 1334.80 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Better Hamilton | Michael West | 11 | 1978.54 | 907.65 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Dave Taylor | 9 | 1995.84 | 785.43 | excluded (least votes) | |
| ACT Local | Nidhita Gosai | 7 | 2011.99 | 630.19 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Allan James McKie | 6 | 2018.84 | 516.00 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Independent | Matthew James Peter Beveridge | 5 | 2022.94 | 484.06 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Paul Alforque | 3 | 2026.21 | 211.81 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Roderick John Young | 2 | 2028.61 | 64.91 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Informal | 175 | |||||
| Blank | 249 | |||||
| Turnout | 14,719 | |||||
East general ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Iteration | Iteration quota | Votes received | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Rachel Karalus | 15 | 2549.85 | 2607 | elected | |
| Better Hamilton | Andrew Bydder | 17 | 2508.44 | 2561.47 | elected | |
| None | Anna Casey-Cox | 21 | 2466.57 | 2743.60 | elected | |
| Independent | Jamie Strange | 23 | 2421.66 | 2535.35 | elected | |
| Better Hamilton | Leo Liu | 24 | 2405.28 | 2588.31 | elected | |
| None | Sue Moroney | 25 | 2389.15 | 2430.86 | elected | |
| Independent | Marie Hamilton | 25 | 2389.15 | 2103.88 | excluded (seat filled) | |
| None | Rudi Du Plooy | 22 | 2456.58 | 1317.12 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Maxine Joy van Oosten | 20 | 2478.85 | 1141.78 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Independent | Rachel Afeaki | 18 | 2506.43 | 1053.08 | excluded (least votes) | |
| ACT Local | Preet Raj Singh Dhaliwal | 16 | 2536.17 | 796.40 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Danielle Marks | 15 | 2549.85 | 718 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Better Hamilton | John McDonald | 14 | 2562.14 | 647 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Independent | Jackie Talbot | 13 | 2572.00 | 558 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Independent | Jenny Nand | 12 | 2583.14 | 520 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Better Hamilton | Stuart David Aitken | 11 | 2588.28 | 484 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Peter Humphreys | 12 | 2592.14 | 440 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Better Hamilton | Horiana Henderson | 9 | 2595.28 | 298 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Independent | Jason Jonassen | 8 | 2597.14 | 248 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Independent | Jono Ng | 7 | 2600.85 | 191 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Tim Hunt | 6 | 2603.42 | 147 | excluded (least votes) | |
| The People's Voice | Jack Gielen | 5 | 2605.85 | 146 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Alexander Bruce McConnochie | 4 | 2607.28 | 84 | excluded (least votes) | |
| New Zealand Constitution Party | Suhair Sabah Hassan | 3 | 2608.71 | 82 | excluded (least votes) | |
| New Zealand Constitution Party | Rachel Louise Harvey | 2 | 2609.42 | 47 | excluded (least votes) | |
| None | Turi Robinson | 1 | 2610.00 | 29 | excluded (least votes) | |
| Independent | Tim Macindoe | 1 | 2610.00 | – | withdrawn (elected mayor) | |
| Informal | 386 | |||||
| Blank | 183 | |||||
| Turnout | 19,131 | |||||
Maaori Ward Poll
| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I vote to KEEP Maaori wards | 19,190 | 54.04 | |
| I vote to REMOVE Maaori wards | 16,320 | 45.96 | |
| Total | 35,510 | 100.00 | |
| Valid votes | 35,510 | 93.29 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 2,553 | 6.71 | |
| Total votes | 38,063 | 100.00 | |
| Source: [23] | |||
See also
Notes
- ^
- 4 members from the city in the Hamilton general constituency.
- 1 member partially from the city representing the Ngā Hau e Whā Māori constituency.
- ^ a b c A candidate may leave their affiliation blank, run as an independent, or run with an affiliation to an organisation, local body ticket or political party.[13]
References
- ^ a b c d "51 candidates stand for Hamilton City Council election". hamilton.govt.nz. Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ Ward, Stephen. "Dollars and 'sense' set to play key part in Hamilton election". The Waikato Times. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ^ "Hamilton City Council local election 2025". hamilton.govt.nz. Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ "Local authority elections are being held in October 2025". www.waikatoregion.govt.nz. Waikato Regional Council. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ "Constituencies". www.waikatoregion.govt.nz. Waikato Regional Council. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ a b Ward, Stephen (10 June 2025). "Andrew Bydder and associates set to run for city council under 'Better Hamilton' banner". The Waikato Times. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ Manhire, Toby (7 February 2025). "Who is in and who is out in the big mayoral races of 2025?". The Spinoff. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ a b Ward, Stephen (26 June 2025). "Trailblazing Māori ward councillor won't re-stand in 2025 elections". Waikato Times. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ Ward, Stephen (11 July 2025). "'Once in a lifetime' role too good for city leader to pass up". Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ A Message from Me to You With Gratitude, 3 July 2025, retrieved 1 August 2025
- ^ a b c "Stand | E Tuu". hamilton.govt.nz. Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 8 April 2025.
- ^ a b c "NOTICE OF DAY OF ELECTION AND POLL FOR THE HAMILTON CITY COUNCIL" (PDF). storage.googleapis.com. Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
- ^ "Candidate Information Handbook" (PDF). storage.googleapis.com. Hamilton City Council. p. 7. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ Ward, Stephen; Morcom, Sarah (8 August 2024). "Maria Te Aukaha Huata wins vacant Hamilton Māori ward seat". Waikato Times. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Mayor and Councillors". hamilton.govt.nz. Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ Chen, Liu (28 August 2025). "Asian candidates for Hamilton City Council align on spending cuts". Radio New Zealand.
- ^ a b ACT New Zealand (25 June 2025). "ACT Announces Nidhita Gosai & Preet Dhaliwal As ACT Local Candidates For Hamilton City Council". www.scoop.co.nz. Scoop. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ Hutt, Louise. "Re-elect Louise Hutt #1 Hamilton West". Vote Louise Hutt. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ "Better Hamilton". Retrieved 1 August 2025.
- ^ "Find your local candidates". Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ "Vote Danielle Marks for Hamilton East 2025". marks4kirikiriroa.com. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Two former Labour MPs vie for seats on Hamilton City Council". RNZ. 3 August 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ a b "LGE2025 - Final" (PDF). hamilton.govt.nz. Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ^ "Results". hamilton.govt.nz. Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ^ Eley, Tom (16 October 2025). "Hamilton mayor-elect promises focus on city's core services". Waikato Herald. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 20 October 2025.