1995 Wellington mayoral election

New Zealand local election July 2025 March 2017 1995 Wellington mayoral election New Zealand Flag of Wellington.svg Presidential no 1992 Wellington mayoral election 1992 1998 Wellington mayoral election 1998 14 October 1995 59,948 (53.10%) 100px Mark Blumsky Independent politician 26,372 43.99 119px Elizabeth Tennet New Zealand Labour Party 11,673 19.47 Mayor Fran Wilde Mark Blumsky The 1995 Wellington mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1995, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method. Background Sitting Mayor Fran Wilde was not renominated by the Labour Party with local members opining that she had drifted too far from Labour policies during her term as mayor. Instead members nominated Eastern ward councillor Hazel Armstrong, though she declined to stand for mayor or the city council.Zatorski Lidia Wilde not listed on Labour ticket The Evening Post 13 February 1995 1 Wilde responded by stating she would stand as an independent if she decided to stand for a second term. She made clear she still supported the Labour Party and praised its leader Helen Clark and her leadership of the party.Zatorski Lidia Wilde cut ties with Labour The Evening Post 14 February 1995 1, 3 Clark said Wilde would have her support if she decided to run as an independent candidate.Schouten Hank Clark gives support to independent Fran Wilde The Evening Post 22 February 1995 2 Ultimately Wilde retired from the role after just one term. When standing in 1992 she intended to run for a second term and stated the decision not to run again was the hardest decision she ever had to make. She cited a wish to gain more privacy and the only way to do so would be to leave the mayoralty.Murphy Lyn No apologies, says Wilde The Evening Post 25 October 1995 7 Her decision prompted a record thirteen candidates to run for the position. The Labour Party eventually chose Elizabeth Tennet, the Member of Parliament for Island Bay, as its candidate for the election. It was the last time the Labour Party was to field a mayoral candidate until 2016. Wilde did not support Tennet's candidacy thinking she was not right for the role and she was only standing for mayor because the Island Bay seat was being abolished at the next general election. Tennet and another MP, Graham Kelly, described Wilde as a turncoat for her criticisms.Brent Edwards Schouten Hank Tennet did not measure up — Wilde The Evening Post 22 February 1995 2 The former chairman of the now defunct Wellington Harbour Board Nigel Gould was selected as the Citizens' Association candidate, beating out shoe retailer Mark Blumsky and ratepayer advocate Jack Ruben for the nomination. Blumsky was not dissuaded and immediately declared his candidacy as an independent.Currie Shayne Gould stands for Mayor The Evening Post 22 May 1995 1 The election saw Mark Blumsky win office as Wellington's Mayor. He won a much larger majority than expected, with media anticipating a neck-and-neck result between himself and Tennet.Moran Paul Surprise at size of Blumsky's win The Evening Post 16 October 1995 13 The 1995 elections also saw the decline of the long established Citizens' Association electoral ticket. Gould finished in a disappointing fourth place for mayor and only four Citizens' ticket candidates won seats in the council, a record low.Independent era arrives in Wellington The Evening Post 16 October 1995 13 The ticket did not contest another mayoral election and would disband soon after. Mayoralty results The following table gives the election results: 1995 Wellington mayoral electionDeclaration of Result of Election – City of Wellington The Evening Post 21 October 1995 30 Independent politician Mark Blumsky 26,372 43.99 New Zealand Labour Party Elizabeth Tennet 11,673 19.47 Independent politician Helene Ritchie 4,569 7.62 -9.38 Wellington Citizens' Association Nigel Gould 4,482 7.47 Independent politician Michael Wall 3,657 6.10 Alliance (New Zealand political party) Phillida Bunkle 3,336 5.56 Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand Stephen Rainbow 2,797 4.66 -6.05 Independent politician Bryan Pepperell 977 1.62 McGillicuddy Serious Party Ross Gardner 470 0.78 Independent politician Noel Galvin 435 0.72 Independent politician Donald Eddie 253 0.42 Independent politician Raymond Berkahn 149 0.24 Private Enterprise #43A2FF Frank Moncur 111 0.18 -0.05 Independent politician Bruce Harris 107 0.17 560 0.93 -0.17 14,699 24.51 59,948 53.10 -0.16 112,886 Ward results 1995 Wellington City local elections Candidates were also elected from wards to the Wellington City Council. Party/ticket Councillors Citizens' 4 Greens 3 Labour 2 Alliance 1 Independent 9 References autocollapse Category:Mayoral elections in Wellington Category:1995 New Zealand local elections Category:Politics of the Wellington Region Category:1990s in Wellington