1950 Wellington mayoral election

New Zealand local election July 2025 November 2016 1950 Wellington mayoral election New Zealand Wellington coat of arms (1878-1951) (shield only).svg Presidential no 1947 Wellington mayoral election 1947 1953 Wellington mayoral election 1953 18 November 1950 33,802 (31.75%) 125x150px Robert Macalister Wellington Citizens' Association 17,582 52.02 150x150px Frank Kitts New Zealand Labour Party 15,821 46.80 Mayor Will Appleton Robert Macalister The 1950 Wellington mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1950, 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 Incumbent Mayor Will Appleton did not seek a third term.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19500502.2.117 Wellington Mayoralty The Evening Post 2 May 1950 26359 10 His future in the mayoralty beyond the term was subject to speculation following his selection as the National Party's candidate for the Wellington Central seat at the 1949.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19490401.2.113 Mayor or MP? – Mr. Appleton's. Explanation The Evening Post 1 April 1949 26025 8 He was replaced as the Citizens' Association mayoral candidate by his deputy, Robert Macalister.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19500508.2.105 City Mayoralty – Mr. Macalister To Stand The Evening Post 8 May 1950 26364 8 The Citizens' Association was in disarray following an embarrassing council ticket selection row with several incumbents dumped from the ticket standing as an independent ticket. The group consisting of Councillors Malcolm Galloway, Berkeley Dallard, Sandy Pope, Len Jacobsen issued a statement saying: "Our stand is a protest against an unwise and grossly unjust selection of a secret clique."Independents From Group to Contest Wellington City Council Election The Dominion 28 October 1950 All but Dallard were defeated. The Wellington Labour Representation Committee (LRC) twice rejected recommendations from the Labour Party's national executive to not contest the mayoralty. The LRC carried an amendment that unless a full ticket (including a mayoral nomination) was to be fielded, the local-body elections would not be contested.Betts 1970 146 Despite the amendment passing, the party had no obvious mayoral candidate to put forward. Local Labour member Gerald O'Brien suggested civil servant and debating club leader Frank Kitts should stand. Kitts, who had the limited political experience of contesting the Waitomo electorate in 1949, was reluctant but was persuaded to do so.Yska Redmer Wellington: Biography of a city 2006 Reed Auckland 0-7900-1117-4 168–9 Kitts was duly selected as the party's mayoral candidate.https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19500831.2.119 Labour Ticket For Local Body Elections The Evening Post 31 August 1950 26463 10 While Kitts did not win the mayoralty, he and five others were the first Labour candidates elected as councillors since the 'Nathan Incident' in 1941. Labour actually won a majority of the vote, however due to an uneven vote dispersal between their candidates, they failed to win a majority on the council.Betts 1970 145–146 Mayoralty results 1950 Wellington mayoral electionCoppin William Stanley 30 November 1950 Declaration of Election Results Wellington City Council Wellington Citizens' Association Robert Macalister 17,582 52.02 New Zealand Labour Party Frank Kitts 15,821 46.80 399 1.18 +0.39 1,761 5.20 33,802 31.75 -18.88 Councillor results 1950 Wellington City Council election Wellington Citizens' Association Elizabeth Gilmer 18,133 53.64 -7.06 New Zealand Labour Party Mervyn Castle 17,050 50.44 Wellington Citizens' Association Charles Treadwell 16,023 47.40 -7.49 Wellington Citizens' Association Ernest Toop 15,723 46.51 -5.18 New Zealand Labour Party Frank Kitts 15,657 46.31 Wellington Citizens' Association Stewart Hardy 14,501 42.89 -8.48 Wellington Citizens' Association Harry Nankervis 14,493 42.87 -7.24 Wellington Citizens' Association William Birtwhistle 14,076 41.64 -5.01 New Zealand Labour Party John Churchill 13,961 41.30 +1.41 Wellington Citizens' Association William Stevens 13,636 40.34 -9.38 New Zealand Labour Party James Roberts 13,627 40.31 +1.78 New Zealand Labour Party William Sadd 13,561 40.11 +4.55 Wellington Citizens' Association Denis McGrath 13,523 40.00 -9.10 New Zealand Labour Party Jack Arthurs 13,472 39.85 +2.35 Ind. Citizens' #DDEEFF Berkeley Dallard 13,434 39.74 +6.60 New Zealand Labour Party Nigel Taylor 13,394 39.62 Wellington Citizens' Association Jack Living 13,297 39.33 -6.73 Ind. Citizens' #DDEEFF Malcolm Galloway 13,246 39.18 -12.57 Wellington Citizens' Association Stanley Dean 12,932 38.25 +17.56 New Zealand Labour Party John Fleming 12,913 38.20 -0.37 New Zealand Labour Party Ethel Harris 12,865 38.05 +1.85 Wellington Citizens' Association Ian Matheson 12,862 38.04 New Zealand Labour Party Jim Bateman 12,770 37.77 New Zealand Labour Party George Mathew 12,200 36.09 Ind. Citizens' #DDEEFF Sandy Pope 12,172 36.00 -14.93 New Zealand Labour Party James Neale 12,110 35.82 New Zealand Labour Party Raymond Toole 12,036 35.60 New Zealand Labour Party Frank O'Flynn 12,011 35.53 +1.49 Ind. Citizens' #DDEEFF Len Jacobsen 11,796 34.89 -16.75 New Zealand Labour Party Ernest Tregoweth 11,698 34.60 Wellington Citizens' Association Jim McDonald 11,687 34.57 Wellington Citizens' Association Edgar Goulden 9,273 27.43 Independent politician William Bacon 6,460 19.11 +0.50 Independent politician Leslie Austin 4,983 14.74 -6.47 Independent politician Thomas Callingham 3,899 11.53 +6.20 Communist Party of New Zealand Connie Birchfield 1,733 5.12 -8.26 Communist Party of New Zealand William Hunter 1,661 4.91 Communist Party of New Zealand Charlie Brooks 1,660 4.91 Communist Party of New Zealand Albert Birchfield 1,591 4.70 Communist Party of New Zealand Dorothy Stanton 1,239 3.66 Communist Party of New Zealand Ron Smith 1,183 3.49 Communist Party of New Zealand Kenneth Stanton 1,088 3.21 Communist Party of New Zealand Mary Ann Heptinstall 1,077 3.18 Communist Party of New Zealand Ray Nunes 864 2.55 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:1950 elections in New Zealand Category:Politics of the Wellington Region Category:1950s in Wellington Category:November 1950 in Oceania Category:Long stubs with short prose