1976 Hamilton mayoral by-election

Incumbent mayor Mike Minogue resigned mid-term after he was elected to parliament as MP for Hamilton West in November 1975. Seven candidates came forward to succeed him. A by-election for a seat on the Hamilton City Council occurred concurrently after the resignation of Ian James Drabble, who had moved outside of Hamilton.^[1]

Seven candidates were nominated, the largest field of candidates for a mayoral election since 1950. The candidates were:^[2]

• Bruce Beetham, A lecturer at Hamilton Teachers' College and leader of the Social Credit Party since 1972. He stood unsuccessfully for the Hamilton City Council in 1971 and the Rangitikei electorate in 1972 and 1975.
• Nicholas Gerardus Buysman, A committee member of the Hamilton Businessmen's Club and past president of the Waikato Restaurant Association. He stood unsuccessfully for the Hamilton City Council in 1971 and 1974. He stood for the mayoralty and council vacancies.
• Ross Jansen, A lawyer who was a Hamilton City Councillor from 1965 to 1974 and deputy mayor from 1971 to 1974. In 1972 he stood as the National Party candidate for Hamilton East.
• Douglas Bruce Mills, A building company director and a Hamilton City Councillor, first elected in 1959. Former mayor Denis Rogers endorsed Mills.^[3]
• Archibald Henry Otton, A Welsh-born sheepskin store proprietor and ex-serviceman in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
• Robert Ivan Peace, A manager of a wine company and president of the New Zealand Wine Resellers' Association. He was a member of the Waikato Electric Power Board and had been a Hamilton City Councillor since 1968.
• Matthew Cowley Te Hira, A motor mechanic and insurance salesman.