2025 New Plymouth District Council election
Elections in New Zealand
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The 2025 New Plymouth District Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in the New Plymouth District of New Zealand, as part of that year's territorial authority elections and other local elections held nation-wide.
11 October 2025
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Mayoral election | |||||||||||||||||
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14 seats on the New Plymouth District Council 8 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below. | |||||||||||||||||
Voters elected the mayor of New Plymouth, 14 district councillors, and other local representatives for the 2025–2028 term of the New Plymouth District Council. Postal voting and the single transferable voting system were used.
Councillor Max Brough won the mayoralty in a landslide, with incumbent mayor Neil Holdom not having stood for re-election.
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 remove the Māori ward for future elections.
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.[1][2][3]
Background
Positions up for election
Voters in the district elected the mayor of New Plymouth, 14 councillors from 5 wards, and the members of five community boards (Clifton, Inglewood, Kaitake, Puketapu-Bell Block, and Waitara).[2] They also elected members of the Taranaki Regional Council.[a][4]
Campaign
List of candidates
Incumbents not seeking re-election
Mayor
| Candidate[10] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Bennett | Independent | Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2022. Incumbent councillor for the at-large ward.[12][13] Also ran for re-election as a councillor. | |
| Max Brough | Independent | Incumbent at-large councillor.[13] Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2019.[14] | |
| David Bublitz | Independent | Incumbent deputy mayor and Kaitake-Ngāmotu general ward councillor.[13][15] Also ran to be a councillor for the at-large ward. | |
| Graham Chard | None | Incumbent chair of the Kaitake Community Board.[16] Also ran to be a councillor for the Kaitake Ngāmotu ward. | |
| Sarah Lucas | None | Inglewood community board member.[17] Also ran to be a councillor for the Kōhanga Moa general ward. | |
| Greg Mackay | None | Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2019 and 2022.[18] Also ran as a councillor in the at-large ward. | |
| Peter Marra | None | Also ran as a councillor in the Kaitake-Ngāmotu general ward | |
| Bill Simpson | None | Also ran to be a councillor for the North general ward | |
| John Woodward | Independent | Former police officer. Also ran to be a councillor for the at-large ward.[19] | |
Withdrawn
- Murray Chong, incumbent councillor for the Kaitake-Ngāmotu ward,[13] had indicated in May that he would run for the mayoralty,[20] but instead just ran for re-election as a councillor.[21]
- Murray "Mullet Muzz" McDowell, had previously indicated that he would run for the mayoralty,[12] but instead just ran to be elected as a councillor for the Kaitake-Ngāmotu ward.[21]
Councillors
Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa Māori ward
Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa Māori ward returned one councillor to the district council.[2]
Kaitake-Ngāmotu general ward
Kaitake-Ngāmotu general ward returned six councillors to the district council.[2]
| Candidate[22][10] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EJ Barrett | None | Disabilities advocate[21] | |
| Gordon Brown | Independent | Incumbent councillor since 2013,[13] and former journalist.[21] Ran again after initially indicating that he would not run for re-election.[5][25][26][21] | |
| Peter Buis | None | ||
| Graham Chard | None | Incumbent chair of the Kaitake Community Board.[16] Also ran for mayor.[21] | |
| Ewen Darling | None | ||
| Damon Fox | ACT Local | Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD) clinician[27] | |
| Moira Irving George | None | Former Taranaki Regional councillor[28] | |
| Ross Johnston | None | ||
| Lani Mackie-Hunt | None | [21] | |
| Peter Marra | None | Also ran for mayor | |
| Mullet Muzz McDowell | None | Former truck and trailor operator. Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2022.[12][21] | |
| Michael Morresey | None | Known as the "Flag Man". Chairperson of Hope Walk New Plymouth/Taranaki Charitable Trust.[21] | |
| Michael Paul O'Sullivan | Independent | ||
| David Payne | None | ||
| Adrian Sole | None | ||
| Craig Tonkin | None | ||
| Nikki Truman | None | ||
| Bryan Vickery | None | Incumbent councillor,[13] and former broadcaster[21] | |
| Kerry Vosseler | None | Former owner of Chaos Cafe[21] | |
Kōhanga Moa general ward
Kōhanga Moa general ward returned one councillor to the district council.[2]
North general ward
North general ward returned one councillor to the district council.[2]
| Candidate[22][10] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gina Alicia Blackburn | None | ||
| Ian Cummings | Independent | ||
| Dayna Brent Jury | None | ||
| Jonathan Marshall | Independent | Incumbent chair of the Waitara community board[16] | |
| Jane Parker-Bishop | None | Incumbent deputy chairperson of the Waitara community board[16] | |
| Bill Simpson | None | Previously ran for council in 2022.[29] Also ran for mayor. | |
At-large ward
Five councillors were elected at-large to the district council.[2]
| Candidate[22][10] | Affiliation[b] | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Bennett | Independent | Incumbent councillor.[13] Also ran for mayor.[12] | |
| David Bublitz | Independent | Incumbent deputy mayor and councillor.[13] Also ran for mayor. | |
| Simon Chadwick | None | ||
| Murray Chong | None | Incumbent councillor.[13] | |
| Shaun Clare | None | ||
| Amanda Clinton-Gohdes | None | Incumbent councillor[13] | |
| Mark Coster | Independent | ||
| Steve Francis | None | ||
| Teresa Goodin | None | ||
| Tina Koch | None | ||
| Debbie Hancock | Independent | ||
| Nigel Jones | None | ||
| Greg Mackay | None | Also ran for mayor | |
| Dinnie Moeahu | None | Incumbent councillor[13] | |
| Sarah Sutherland | None | ||
| Wayne Williamson | None | ||
| John Woodward | Independent | Former police officer. Also ran for mayor[19] | |
Results
Summary
| Ward | Previous | Elected | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mayor | Neil HoldomR | Max Brough | ||
| At-large ward | Sam Bennett | Murray Chong | ||
| Max Brough | David Bublitz | |||
| Amanda Clinton-Gohdes | John Woodward | |||
| Harry DuynhovenR | Sam Bennet | |||
| Dinnie Moeahu | Dinnie Moeahu | |||
| Kaitake-Ngāmotu General Ward | David Bublitz | Gordon Brown | ||
| Gordon Brown | Graham Chard | |||
| Anneka Carlson MatthewsR | Moira Irving George | |||
| Murray Chong | Damon Fox | |||
| Bali HaqueR | Kerry Vosseler | |||
| Bryan Vickery | EJ Barrett | |||
| Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa (Māori Ward) | Te Waka McLeod | Te Waka McLeod | ||
| Kōhanga Moa General Ward | Marie PearceR | Christine Fabish | ||
| North Ward | Tony BedfordR | Gina Blackburn | ||
| R – an incumbent who did not run for re-election | ||||
Mayor
| Affiliation | Candidate | Primary vote | % | Iteration vote | Final % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Max Brough | not provided | #7 | 13,984 | 53.70 | ||
| Independent | David Bublitz | #7 | 6,296 | 24.18 | |||
| Independent | Sarah Lucas | #7 | 5,763 | 22.13 | |||
| Independent | Sam Bennett | #6 | 2,676 | ||||
| Independent | John Woodward | #5 | 1,978 | ||||
| Independent | Graham Chard | #4 | 1,496 | ||||
| Independent | Peter Marra | #3 | 837 | ||||
| Independent | Greg Mackay | #2 | 395 | ||||
| Independent | Bill Simpson | 287 | 1.00 | #1 | 287 | ||
| Quota | 14,108 | 49.29 | #7 | 13,022 | 50.00 | ||
| Informal | 61 | 0.21 | |||||
| Blank | 348 | 1.22 | |||||
| Turnout | 28,625 | ||||||
| Registered | |||||||
| Independent gain from Independent on 7th iteration | |||||||
At-large ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Primary vote | % | Iteration vote[c] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Murray Chong† | 9,566 | 33.42 | #1 | 9,566 | |
| Independent | David Bublitz† | 4,743 | 16.57 | #1 | 4,743 | |
| Independent | John Woodward | not provided | #22 | 4,702 | ||
| Independent | Sam Bennett† | #23 | 4,183 | |||
| Independent | Dinnie Moeahu† | #27 | 3,915 | |||
| Independent | Amanda Clinton-Gohdes† | #27 | 3,781 | |||
| Independent | Mark Coster | #21 | 1,893 | |||
| Independent | Simon Chadwick | #20 | 1,210 | |||
| Independent | Teresa Goodin | #19 | 1,101 | |||
| Independent | Debbie Hancock | #17 | 911 | |||
| Independent | Greg Mackay | #15 | 850 | |||
| Independent | Sarah Sutherland | #11 | 762 | |||
| Independent | Steve Francis | #9 | 589 | |||
| Independent | Shaun Clare | #8 | 519 | |||
| Independent | Tina Koch | #6 | 374 | |||
| Independent | Wayne Williamson | #5 | 354 | |||
| Independent | Nigel Jones | #3 | 122 | |||
| Quota | 4,627 | 16.16 | #27 | 3,902 | ||
| Informal | 329 | 1.15 | ||||
| Blank | 533 | 1.86 | ||||
| Turnout | 28,625 | |||||
| Registered | ||||||
| Independent hold on 1st iteration | ||||||
| Independent gain from Independent on 1st iteration | ||||||
| Independent gain from Independent on 22nd iteration | ||||||
| Independent hold 23rd iteration | ||||||
| Independent hold 27th iteration | ||||||
| † incumbent | ||||||
Kaitāke-Ngāmotu general ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Primary vote | % | Iteration vote[c] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Gordon Brown† | 2,832 | 13.96 | #1 | 2,832 | |
| Independent | Graham Chard | not provided | #10 | 2,523 | ||
| Independent | Moira Irving George | #18 | 2,555 | |||
| ACT Local | Damon Fox | #18 | 2,480 | |||
| Independent | Kerry Vosseler | #19 | 2,390 | |||
| Independent | EJ Barrett | #21 | 2,365 | |||
| Independent | Bryan Vickery† | #21 | 2,160 | |||
| Independent | Adrian Sole | #17 | 1,394 | |||
| Independent | Peter Marra | #16 | 779 | |||
| Independent | Ewen Darling | #15 | 681 | |||
| Independent | Ross Johnston | #13 | 634 | |||
| Independent | Nikki Truman | #11 | 544 | |||
| Independent | Mullet McDowell | #9 | 478 | |||
| Independent | Pete Buis | #8 | 442 | |||
| Independent | Lani Mackie-Hunt | #7 | 385 | |||
| Independent | David Payne | #6 | 341 | |||
| Independent | Craig Tonkin | #5 | 224 | |||
| Independent | Michael O'Sullivan | #4 | 213 | |||
| Independent | Mike Morresey | #2 | 117 | |||
| Quota | 2,535 | 12.50 | #21 | 2,347 | ||
| Informal | 1,296 | 6.39 | ||||
| Blank | 1,247 | 6.15 | ||||
| Turnout | 20,286 | |||||
| Registered | ||||||
| Independent hold on 1st iteration | ||||||
| Independent gain from Independent on 10th iteration | ||||||
| Independent gain from Independent on 18th iteration | ||||||
| ACT Local gain from Independent on 18th iteration | ||||||
| Independent gain from Independent on 19th iteration | ||||||
| Independent gain from Independent on 21st iteration | ||||||
| † incumbent | ||||||
Kōhanga Moa general ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Primary vote | % | Iteration vote[c] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Christine Fabish | not provided | #2 | 1,542 | ||
| Independent | Sarah Lucas | #2 | 1,422 | |||
| Independent | Adrian Sole | 501 | 14.17 | #1 | 501 | |
| Quota | 1,595 | 45.12 | #2 | 1,482 | ||
| Informal | 19 | 0.54 | ||||
| Blank | 327 | 9.25 | ||||
| Turnout | 3,535 | |||||
| Registered | ||||||
| Independent gain from Independent on 2nd iteration | ||||||
North general ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Primary vote | % | Iteration vote | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Gina Blackburn | not provided | #5 | 1,115 | ||
| Independent | Ian Cummings | #5 | 918 | |||
| Independent | Jonathan Marshall | #4 | 719 | |||
| Independent | Dayna Jury | #3 | 548 | |||
| Independent | Jane Parker-Bishop | #2 | 337 | |||
| Independent | Bill Simpson | 145 | 4.72 | #1 | 145 | |
| Quota | 1,434 | 46.66 | #5 | 1,017 | ||
| Informal | 16 | 0.52 | ||||
| Blank | 190 | 6.18 | ||||
| Turnout | 3,073 | |||||
| Registered | ||||||
| Independent gain from Independent on 5th iteration | ||||||
Te Purutanga Mauri Pūmanawa Māori ward
| Affiliation | Candidate | Primary vote | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Te Waka McLeod† | 1,116 | 64.47 | |||
| Independent | Peter Moeahu | 545 | 31.48 | |||
| Quota | 831 | 48.01 | ||||
| Informal | 8 | 0.46 | ||||
| Blank | 62 | 3.58 | ||||
| Turnout | 1,731 | |||||
| Registered | ||||||
| Independent hold on 1st iteration | ||||||
| † incumbent | ||||||
Māori Ward Poll
| Choice | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I vote to REMOVE the Māori ward | 15,004 | 55.47 | |
| I vote to KEEP the Māori ward | 12,046 | 44.53 | |
| Total | 27,050 | 100.00 | |
| Valid votes | 27,050 | 94.50 | |
| Invalid/blank votes | 1,575 | 5.50 | |
| Total votes | 28,625 | 100.00 | |
| Source: [31] | |||
Notes
- 5 members from the district in the New Plymouth general constituency
- 2 members from the district in the North Taranaki general constituency
- 1 member partially from the district in the Taranaki Māori constituency.
- 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. New Plymouth District Council does not allow election slogans to be used for the affiliation.[11]
- Rounded to whole number