1965 Wellington mayoral election

New Zealand local election March 2017 March 2017 1965 Wellington mayoral election New Zealand Flag of Wellington.svg Presidential no 1962 Wellington mayoral election 1962 1968 Wellington mayoral election 1968 9 October 1965 30,962 (47.6%) 150x150px Frank Kitts New Zealand Labour Party 17,783 57.43 150x150px Matt Benney Wellington Citizens' Association 11,966 38.64 Mayor Frank Kitts New Zealand Labour Party Frank Kitts New Zealand Labour Party The 1965 Wellington mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1965, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method. Background There was a rift within the Citizens' Association over their selected candidate for the mayoralty, Matt Benney. Benney was a first term councillor and formerly a reputable civil servant, serving as Under-secretary for Mines from 1940 until he retired in 1959. Benney was chosen as the Citizens' nominee for the mayoralty by the association's executive, but he withdrew his nomination after it became clear that a sizeable majority of sitting Citizens' councillors instead favoured deputy-mayor Denis McGrath.The Dominion Another rift seen in Citizens' ranks 4 June 1965 After Benney's declination, councillor Noel Manthel was then proposed as a compromise candidate, but he declined backing McGrath instead. However McGrath declined to stand for mayor and offered himself only for the council.Betts 1970 186 As the deadline for nominations neared a deputation of over 50 businessmen and Citizens' candidates asked Benney to again accept both the nomination and deputy-mayoralty, to which he agreed.The Evening Post Cr. C. H. Benney is Citizens' Mayoral Choice 30 August 1965 Kitts attracted criticism for insisting on standing for the council as well as the mayoralty. He had done so in the previous five elections (winning the mayoralty in the last three) but with both his large majority in the previous election combined with the frictions within the Citizens' Association, Kitts was expected to win the mayoralty comfortably. Labour supporters thought he should make way for another candidate on the council ticket and reduce the number of wasted votes that would be caused on an inevitable dual election.Sunday News Supporters angry at mayor's stand 1 August 1965 The Labour Party duly won more votes than the Citizens' Association for the council, including over 18,000 for Kitts, though this only translated into one extra council seat, still leaving the council with a Citizens' majority.Betts 1970 146 Mayoralty results 1965 Wellington mayoral electionPetersen G.A. 23 October 1965 Declaration of Election Results Wellington City Council New Zealand Labour Party Frank Kitts 17,783 57.43 -3.75 Wellington Citizens' Association Matt Benney 11,966 38.64 United Action #00CED1 Saul Goldsmith 1,031 3.32 –4.11 182 0.58 –0.07 5,817 18.78 –9.53 30,962 47.6 +1.2 Councillor results 1965 Wellington City Council election New Zealand Labour Party Frank Kittsnb As Kitts won the Mayoralty his election to the council was voided and his seat was awarded to the highest polling unsuccessful candidate. 18,059 58.32 +3.33 New Zealand Labour Party Rolland O'Regan 16,729 54.03 Wellington Citizens' Association Matt Benney 16,606 53.63 +13.60 New Zealand Labour Party John Jeffries 15,678 50.63 +12.33 New Zealand Labour Party Olive Smuts-Kennedy 15,294 49.39 Wellington Citizens' Association Maida Clark 14,914 48.16 +4.06 Wellington Citizens' Association Bob Archibald 14,332 46.28 +0.06 Wellington Citizens' Association Alice Campbell 14,013 45.25 +1.24 Wellington Citizens' Association Denis McGrath 13,991 45.18 +1.36 Wellington Citizens' Association Stewart Duff 13,451 43.44 –0.44 Wellington Citizens' Association George Porter 12,767 41.23 +3.10 Wellington Citizens' Association John Turk 12,376 39.97 +0.20 Wellington Citizens' Association Gordon Morrison 12,305 39.74 +2.09 New Zealand Labour Party Gerald O'Brien 12,257 39.58 +6.10 Wellington Citizens' Association William Scollay 12,095 39.06 New Zealand Labour Party Keith Spry 11,962 38.63 New Zealand Labour Party Peter Butler 11,939 38.56 New Zealand Labour Party Willis Livingstone Combs 11,458 37.00 New Zealand Labour Party Percival Hansen 11,368 36.71 +6.55 Wellington Citizens' Association Terry Dunleavy 11,202 36.17 Wellington Citizens' Association Roy Parsons 10,861 35.07 Wellington Citizens' Association Shirley Rowe 10,358 33.45 New Zealand Labour Party Edward Hill 10,305 33.28 New Zealand Labour Party Gwendrith Elsie Haine 10,209 32.97 New Zealand Labour Party William Rose 10,050 32.45 Wellington Citizens' Association William Haydon 10,026 32.38 New Zealand Labour Party Charles Troughton 9,761 31.52 New Zealand Labour Party Roland Howell 9,677 31.25 +3.58 New Zealand Labour Party Alexander Schiff 9,399 30.35 Wellington Citizens' Association Oscar Bergh 8,700 28.09 Independent politician Max Wall 5,585 18.03 United Action #00CED1 Saul Goldsmith 4,548 14.68 –10.26 United Action #00CED1 Frank Tickner 3,885 12.54 –6.28 United Action #00CED1 Harold Fownes 2,802 9.04 United Action #00CED1 Ron Brierley 2,791 9.01 –2.84 United Action #00CED1 Nancy Horrocks 2,710 8.75 United Action #00CED1 Peter Madden 2,691 8.69 United Action #00CED1 Alice Coe 2,625 8.47 –2.09 United Action #00CED1 Lindsay Buick-Constable 2,557 8.25 United Action #00CED1 Oliver Goldsmith 2,421 7.81 United Action #00CED1 Nancy La Coste 2,323 7.50 United Action #00CED1 Barry Michael 2,014 6.50 United Action #00CED1 Carlyle Edwards 2,012 6.49 –2.42 United Action #00CED1 Maurice de Woolf 1,947 6.28 United Action #00CED1 William Crowe 1,749 5.64 Independent politician William Rea 1,689 5.45 United Action #00CED1 William Woolhouse 1,610 5.19 Independent politician Philip Cossham 1,588 5.12 United Action #00CED1 Evan Collett 1,500 4.84 United Action #00CED1 Patrick Fee 1,342 4.33 –2.04 Communist Party of New Zealand Ralph Gooderidge 1,068 3.44 Communist Party of New Zealand Ron Smith 1,017 3.28 –1.01 Table footnotes: nb Notes References Betts George George Betts (political scientist) Betts on Wellington: A City and its Politics 1970 A. H. & A. W. Reed Ltd. Wellington 0 589 00469 7 autocollapse Category:Mayoral elections in Wellington Category:1965 elections in New Zealand Category:Politics of the Wellington Region Category:1960s in Wellington Category:October 1965 in Oceania