2022 Wellington City mayoral election
8 October 2022
Turnout72,025 (43.27%)
 
Candidate Tory Whanau Andy Foster Paul Eagle
Primary vote 30,656 11,835 11,935
Percentage 42.56% 16.43% 16.57%
Final count 34,462 16,711 14,589
Percentage 52.40% 25.41% 22.18%
Mayor before election

Andy Foster

 Elected Mayor

Tory Whanau

The 2022 Wellington City mayoral election, part of the Wellington local elections in October 2022, determined who would serve as Mayor of the City of Wellington for the next three-year term. It was won by Tory Whanau, a former Green Party parliamentary chief of staff.

The election used the single transferable vote (STV) system. Whanau's win in the seventh iteration over eight opponents, who included incumbent mayor Andy Foster and Rongotai MP Paul Eagle, was described as a landslide victory. The turnout of 45% was an increase from previous elections.[1]

Background and electoral method

Andy Foster was first elected to Wellington City Council in the 1992 elections, and served continuously until he was elected mayor in the 2019 election.[2] Despite Foster's centre-right position, a majority centre-left council was elected in the 2019 local elections.[3] Infighting amongst the council was reported in February 2021 after Fleur Fitzsimons reported Foster to the Auditor-General over his proposal to privatise the city's main library, and cited decision-making and governance inconsistent with the Local Government Act 2002.[4] Shortly afterwards, Foster announced an independent review of the council's governance.[5] The review found issues with the council including with its governance structure, direction and oversight, that some council staff felt unsafe in giving free and frank advice.[6]

The mayor is elected at large using the single transferable vote system.[7] Under the Local Government Act 2002, candidates were allowed to spend up to $60,000 on the campaign.[8]

Candidates

Nine candidates were nominated for the mayoralty.

Name Ticket Description
Ellen Blake Independent Wellington coordinator of Living Streets Aotearoa[9]
Ray Chung Independent founder of the Onslow Residents' Community Association[10]
Chris Dudfield Independent – Vision/Skill/Results Architect[11]
Paul Eagle Independent Labour MP and former deputy mayor, endorsed by the Labour Party[12]
Andy Foster Together for Wellington Incumbent mayor[13]
Kelvin Hastie[14] Future Wellington Founder of Predator Free Wellington
Donald McDonald[14] Our truth all but whole truth Perennial candidate
Barbara McKenzie Independent Founder of the Wellington Significant Natural Areas (SNA) Committee. Anti-vaccination activist.[15][16]
Tory Whanau Independent Former Green Party chief of staff[17]

Declined to be candidates

Campaign

Paul Eagle

Eagle announced his campaign and his endorsement by the Labour Party on 26 June 2022.[22][23] Eagle ran on a "back to basics" platform, focusing on repairing city infrastructure.[24] He took leave as an MP from 8 July to campaign,[23] and donated to charity his salary for that period.[25] Eagle spent $57,733 on his campaign.[8]

Andy Foster

Foster announced his intention to seek re-election on 7 July 2022 on Newstalk ZB.[26] He spent $54,108, including $17,000 on billboards.[8]

Tory Whanau

Whanau announced her entry into the race on 18 November 2021,[17] and was endorsed by the Green Party in April 2022.[27] She formally launched her campaign on 30 June 2022.[28] Georgina Campbell of The New Zealand Herald wrote that Whanau's early announcement helped her to overcome low name recognition. Whanau utilised street-level posters around the city to advertise.[24] Whanau spent $59,844, which included $23,000 on street-level posters and $15,000 on digital billboards.[8]

Issues and positions

In May 2022, The Dominion Post reporter Tom Hunt identified the top election issues as public safety, commercial vibrancy, housing affordability, transport, rates, water infrastructure, climate change and council culture.[29] The council indicated in its pre-election report that the biggest issues facing the city are infrastructure and planning for growth, resilience and adaptability, the economy, funding and resourcing and the changing local government sector.[30][31] A poll of voters by Q+A and Kantar found that water infrastructure was the top issue, followed by climate change adaptation, road maintenance, reducing rates, and public transport investment.[32]

On 18 August, The Dominion Post reported mayoral and council candidate Barbara McKenzie as being an anti-vaxxer, not denying forming part of Voices for Freedom, and avowing support for 6 January U.S. Capitol rioters.[33]

Transport

Let's Get Wellington Moving, a programme of infrastructure works proposed by a consortium of Wellington City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and Waka Kotahi, includes a proposed light rail line from the city centre to Island Bay and a second tunnel through Mount Victoria.[34] Eagle, Foster and Whanau all expressed support for the project, however Eagle and Whanau called for a review of the 60:40 funding split between central and local government.[35] Chung stated a preference for bus rapid transit over light rail, and Dudfield stood for a significant modification of the proposal to focus on road traffic.[36]

Whanau supported the completion of the Paneke Pōneke cycleway network, while Eagle opposed it and Foster called for a refocus of how it is being delivered.[37]

Whanau campaigned for extending the pedestrian zone of Cuba Street and trialling the use of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in suburban areas.[28]

Water infrastructure

The Sixth Labour Government of New Zealand is proposing a Three Waters reform programme to centralise water management infrastructure between territorial authorities. Foster cautiously opposed the reforms "as they stand",[38] supporting co-governance but favouring a review into local government and amendments to the Resource Management Act.[39] Eagle and Whanau supported the reform programme.[37][40]

Debates

Date Organiser(s) Moderator Location Participants
Eagle Foster Whanau
31 August Radio Waatea
Te Upoko o Te Ika[40]		 Shane Te Pou Wharewaka Function Centre Present Present Present
5 September Inner City Wellington[41] Stephen King St Peter's Church Present Present Present
7 September The Dominion Post[37] Anna Fifield Stuff newsroom Present Present Present
8 September The New Zealand Herald
Wellington Chamber of Commerce[42][43]		 Georgina Campbell Rutherford House, Victoria University of Wellington[35] Present Present Present
8 September Aro Valley Community Centre[44] Bryan Crump Lychgate Funeral Home Present Present Present
14 September Arts Wellington[45] Courtney Johnston Te Whaea Present Present Present
15 September The Spinoff[46] Toby Manhire Meow Present Present Present
21 September Morning Report[47] Susie Ferguson Radio New Zealand Present Present Present
24 September Newshub Nation[48] Conor Whitten Newshub Present Present Present

Opinion polling

Date Polling organisation MOE Iteration Ellen Blake Ray Chung Chris Dudfield Kelvin Hastie Paul Eagle Andy Foster Donald McDonald Barbara McKenzie Tory Whanau
31 August – 8 September 2022 Q+A–Kantar[32] ±4.4 First 3 13 2 2 28 20 1 5 26
Last — — — — 51 — — — 49

Results

2022 Wellington City mayoral election[49]
PartyCandidateFPv%Count
1234567
Independent Tory Whanau 42.56 30,656 30,762 31,176 31,330 32,027 32,317 34,462
Together for Wellington Andy Foster 16.43 11,835 11,878 11,987 12,105 12,476 12,916 16,711
Independent Paul Eagle 16.57 11,935 11,974 12,097 12,213 12,519 12,783 14,589
Independent Ray Chung 14.41 10,383 10,436 10,524 10,979 11,285 12,670
Independent – Vision/Skill/Results Chris Dudfield 3.51 2,535 2,553 2,585 2,754 2,960
Future Wellington Kelvin Hastie 2.73 1,971 2,001 2,135 2,208
Independent Barbara McKenzie 1.69 1,224 1,253 1,341
Independent Ellen Blake 1.52 1,101 1,116
Our truth all but whole truth Don McDonald 0.53 385
Valid: 72,025   Spoilt: 103   Quota: 32,881   Turnout: 43.27%  

    Aftermath

    Whanau's win saw her become the first Māori mayor of Wellington,[50] and the first person since Mark Blumsky in 1995 to be elected mayor of Wellington without experience as a city councillor.[51] Her win was described as a landslide victory,[52][53][54] and the most decisive since Wellington began using STV in 2004.[55] Eagle's third-place finish was described as an upset.[56]

    The 2022 mayoral elections generally saw a swing to the political right, with Whanau's win an exception to that trend.[57] Both of the highest-polling candidates supported expansion of cycleways and mass transit.[58] All candidates agreed on further investment in 'pipes' to improve water infrastructure.[59] Voters preferred candidates whose position on Three Waters reform was of mild opposition (Foster) or supportive.[58] Strong opponents of the reform such as Dudfield[60] polled relatively poorly.

    Whanau credited her campaign's success[61] to its mobilisation of voters,[62] and commentators described the election result as a vote for change, and consistent with a desire to 'fix what was going wrong' in water, transport, and housing.[63] Lara Greaves from the University of Auckland stated that Whanau's early declaration of her intention to run for mayor helped to increase her visibility.[64] Eagle conceded that his centrist campaign was the wrong strategy.[65]

    References

    1. ↑ "Mayor". Wellington City Council. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
    2. ↑ "Tory Whanau wins Wellington mayoralty: 'It was just such an amazing moment'". Radio New Zealand. 8 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
    3. ↑ Tso, Matthew (21 September 2019). "No rhyme or reason for incoherent voter behaviour". Stuff. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
    4. ↑ "Wellingtonians unimpressed by fractured city council". Radio New Zealand. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
    5. ↑ Campbell, Georgina (24 February 2021). "Wellington Mayor Andy Foster announces independent review of city council's governance". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
    6. ↑ George, Damian (15 April 2021). "City councillors welcome review highlighting poor governance, allegations of bullying, and lack of direction". Stuff. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
    7. ↑ "Electoral systems". Wellington City Council. 21 January 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
    8. 1 2 3 4 Campbell, Georgina (9 December 2022). "Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau's large campaign spend-up pays off". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
    9. ↑ Hunt, Tom (27 June 2022). "The Wellington mayoralty is now a five-horse race. Will Andy Foster make it six?". Dominion Post. Stuff.
    10. ↑ Gourley, Erin (26 April 2022). "Ray Chung wants to bring business sense to Wellington's mayoralty". Stuff. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
    11. ↑ Wong, Justin (6 July 2022). "Chris Dudfield announces run for Wellington mayoralty". Dominion Post. Stuff.
    12. ↑ Campbell, Georgina (27 June 2022). "Rongotai MP Paul Eagle announces Wellington mayoral bid". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
    13. ↑ Hickman, Bill (7 July 2022). "Wellington mayor Andy Foster emotional on-air as he confirms re-election bid". Dominion Post. Stuff.
    14. 1 2 "Nominations for Wellington City Council 2022 Triennial Elections". electionz.com.
    15. ↑ Hunt, Tom (17 August 2022). "Wellington mayoral hopeful claimed Covid vaccine dangerous, backed Trump rioters". Stuff. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
    16. ↑ Tso, Matthew (21 April 2022). "'Hurry up and make a call': Wellington mayoral candidates urged to step forward". Stuff. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
    17. 1 2 MacManus, Joel (18 November 2021). "Former Green Party chief of staff Tory Whanau running for Wellington mayor". Stuff.
    18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Campbell, Georgina (19 November 2021). "Wellington City Council: Who's running again and who's not?". The New Zealand Herald.
    19. 1 2 3 MacManus, Joel (9 October 2021). "One year to go: The big issues that will define the Wellington local body election". Stuff.
    20. ↑ Hunt, Tom (1 February 2022). "Wellington's first Māori woman to be deputy mayor stepping down". Dominion Post. Stuff.
    21. ↑ Campbell, Georgina (18 January 2022). "Former Porirua mayor Nick Leggett considering a return to politics". The New Zealand Herald.
    22. ↑ "Paul Eagle confirms Wellington mayoral bid". Radio New Zealand. 27 June 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
    23. 1 2 Hunt, Tom (27 June 2022). "Wellington mayoralty contender Paul Eagle pledges to hit the ground running if he wins". The Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
    24. 1 2 Campbell, Georgina (10 October 2022). "Strategy helps unknown sweep to victory past MP in Wellington". The New Zealand Herald. p. A7.
    25. ↑ Hunt, Tom (11 October 2022). "Failed Wellington mayoral candidate Paul Eagle confirms $24k in donations". The Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
    26. ↑ Campbell, Georgina (7 July 2022). "Andy Foster announces Wellington mayoral bid on Newstalk ZB". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
    27. ↑ Wong, Justin (10 April 2022). "Greens announce Wellington local body candidates, endorse Tory Whanau for mayor". Stuff. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
    28. 1 2 Hunt, Tom (30 June 2022). "Wellington mayoral candidate's bold plan to pedestrianise Cuba St". The Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
    29. ↑ Hunt, Tom (4 May 2022). "100 days out: Wellington's big city council election issues". The Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
    30. ↑ "Wellington City Council 2022 Pre-Election Report" (PDF). Wellington City Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
    31. ↑ Gourley, Erin (12 July 2022). "Council candidates warned Wellington may need to sell commercial assets". The Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
    32. 1 2 "Paul Eagle, Tory Whanau leading Wellington mayoral race – poll". 1 News. Television New Zealand. 18 September 2022. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
    33. ↑ Hunt, Tom (18 August 2022). "Wellington mayoral hopeful claimed Covid vaccine dangerous, backed Trump rioters". The Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
    34. ↑ Green, Kate; Gourley, Erin (29 June 2022). "'Once in a generation': Government backs light rail for $7.4b Wellington transport overhaul". The Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
    35. 1 2 Thomas, Rachel (8 September 2022). "Feuding Wellington mayoral candidates play nice at business debate". Stuff. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
    36. ↑ Gourley, Erin (10 September 2022). "Mayoral candidates share their priorities for Wellington's future". Stuff. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
    37. 1 2 3 Gourley, Erin (7 September 2022). "Wellington mayoral debate ends with heated argument on Shelly Bay". Stuff. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
    38. ↑ Gourley, Erin (7 September 2022). "Wellington mayoral debate ends with heated argument on Shelly Bay". Stuff. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
    39. ↑ Manhire, Toby (30 August 2022). "Andy Foster is asking Wellington for a sequel". The Spinoff. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
    40. 1 2 Gourley, Erin (31 August 2022). "Quips, barbs and cold shoulders at Wellington's first big mayoral debate". Stuff. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
    41. ↑ Olsen, Stephen (6 September 2022). "Mayoral candidates: mojo, mahi, and cool". Scoop. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
    42. ↑ "NZ Herald partners with Wellington Chamber of Commerce for mayoral debate". The New Zealand Herald. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
    43. ↑ "Wellington mayoral candidate puts $40,000 of own money into campaign". The New Zealand Herald. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
    44. ↑ Frame, Kirsty (9 September 2022). "Death by the bell: Wellington's infamous council debate held in funeral home". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
    45. ↑ Chumko, André (15 September 2022). "'We are watching you': Mayoral candidates vie for votes from Wellington's arts sector". Stuff. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
    46. ↑ "Watch: The Spinoff's Wellington mayoral candidate debate". The Spinoff. 15 September 2022. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
    47. ↑ "Watch: Wellington mayoral candidates debate housing, climate, transport". Radio New Zealand. 21 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
    48. ↑ Iasona, Seni (24 September 2022). "Local elections: Wellington Mayoral candidates underwhelm commentators in Newshub Nation debate". Newshub. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
    49. ↑ "Wellington City Council – 2022 Triennial Elections" (PDF). Wellington City Council. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
    50. ↑ Campbell, Georgina (8 October 2022). "Your Vote 2022: Tory Whanau elected as Wellington's mayor". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
    51. ↑ Gourley, Erin (18 October 2022). "Whanau to move on from the 'coolest little capital' and look to future". Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 18 October 2022.
    52. ↑ Neas, Ollie (8 October 2022). "Tory Whanau celebrates mayoral win, urges 'reconnection'". The Spinoff. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
    53. ↑ "Wellington's new Green mayor Tory Whanau on the climate crisis". 1 News. Television New Zealand. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
    54. ↑ "Former Green Party Chief of Staff, Tory Whanau is Wellington's new mayor". Newstalk ZB. 9 October 2022. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
    55. ↑ Gourley, Erin (10 October 2022). "Wellington region's new mayors prioritise teamwork and rebuilding trust". The Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
    56. ↑ Gourley, Erin (8 October 2022). "Even split of fresh faces and experience on Wellington's new council". The Dominion Post. Stuff. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
    57. ↑ "'A shift in political thinking': many of New Zealand's cities lurch right in local elections". the Guardian. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
    58. 1 2 Campbell, Georgina (10 October 2022). "On The Tiles – Local Edition: Dissecting the local body election results". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
    59. ↑ Gourley, Erin (9 September 2022). "Mayoral candidates share their priorities for Wellington's future". Stuff. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
    60. ↑ Gourley, Tom Hunt and Erin (23 September 2022). "Wellington mayor Andy Foster says missed campaign promises were part of plan to get two terms at top". Stuff. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
    61. ↑ Whyte, Anna; Producer, Senior Digital Political. "Meet the Wellington City Council mayoral candidates". 1 News. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
    62. ↑ Daalder, Marc (8 October 2022). "Whanau bucks trend in referendum on leadership". Newsroom. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
    63. ↑ Godrey, Morgan (12 October 2022). "New Zealand's local elections appear to show a backlash against Ardern. The reality is more complex". the Guardian. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
    64. ↑ Chumko, André (11 October 2022). "Tory Whanau's 'masterful' campaign catapulted her into mayoralty, experts say". Stuff. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
    65. ↑ Cardwell, Hamish (9 October 2022). "Failed Wellington mayoral candidate Paul Eagle says 'everyone voted on party lines'". Radio New Zealand. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
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