2025 Whangārei District Council election

2025 Whangārei District Council election
11 October 2025
Turnout30,490 (45.00%)
Mayoral election
 
Candidate Ken Couper Vince Cocurullo
Affiliation Independent Independent
Primary vote 8,668 8,173
Percentage 28.43% 26.81%
Final vote 12,418 11,983
Percentage 50.89% 49.11%
 
Candidate Marie Olsen Brad Flower
Affiliation Independent Independent
Primary vote 6,746 5,786
Percentage 22.13% 18.98%
Final vote excluded excluded
Mayor before election

Vince Cocurullo
Independent

Elected mayor

Ken Couper
Independent

Council election
13 seats on the Whangārei District Council
7 seats needed for a majority
Party Seats +/–
Independent

12 −1
ACT Local

1 +1
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

The 2025 Whangārei District Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in the Whangārei District of New Zealand as part of that year's territorial authority elections and other local elections held nation-wide.

Voters elected the mayor of Whangārei and 13 district councillors for the 2025–2028 term of the Whangārei District Council. Postal voting and the single transferable voting voting system were used.

Councillor Ken Couper won the mayoralty, defeating incumbent mayor Vince Cocurullo.

The council introduced a Māori ward at the 2022 election; in a referendum on its future held alongside 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]

Background

Positions up for election

Voters elected thirteen councillors in six wards, as well as the mayor of Whangārei. Voters in the district also elected members of the Northland Regional Council.[a][2][3]

Māori wards referendum

In November 2020, the Whangārei District Council voted 8-6 to establish a Māori ward for the 2022 and 2025 elections.[4]

In July 2024, the National-led coalition government passed the Local Government (Electoral Legislation and Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2024 which reinstated the requirement that councils must hold a referendum before establishing Māori wards or constituencies. In August 2024, the council voted 12-1 to affirm their decision to establish the Māori constituency, thereby triggering a referendum on the constituency to be held alongside the 2025 local elections.[5]

Campaign

List of candidates

Incumbents not seeking re-election

  • Gavin Benney, councillor for the Hikurangi-Coastal general ward[6][7]
  • Phil Halse, deputy mayor and incumbent councillor for the Bream Bay general ward[7]
  • Patrick Holmes, incumbent councillor for the Whangārei Heads general ward[7]

Mayor

Candidate[8] Photo Affiliation[b] Notes
Vince Cocurullo None Incumbent mayor since 2022[6]
Ken Couper Independent Incumbent councillor.[7] Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2022.[10] Also ran for re-election as a councillor in the Bream Bay general ward.
Brad Flower Independent Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2022.[10] Also ran to be a councillor in the Whangārei Urban general ward.
Fiona Green None
Marie Olsen Independent Councillor for the Whangārei Urban general ward.[6][7] Also ran for re-election in the Whangārei Urban general ward.

Councillors

Whangārei District Māori ward

The Whangārei District Māori ward returned two councillors to the district council.[1]

Candidate[8] Affiliation Notes
Deb Harding None Incumbent councillor[7]
Phoenix Ruka None Incumbent councillor[7]
Sheila Taylor None

Bream Bay general ward

Bream Bay general ward returned two councillors to the district council.[1]

Candidate[8] Affiliation Notes
David Baldwin None
Ken Couper Independent Incumbent councillor.[7] Also ran for mayor.
Paul Grace None
Simon Schuster None
Shilane Shirkey None
Matthew Yovich ACT Local Fitter-turner, youth coach and community advocate[11]

Hikurangi-Coastal general ward

Hikurangi-Coastal general ward returned two councillors to the district council.[1]

Candidate[8] Affiliation Notes
Chanelle Armstrong None
Susy Bretherton None
Norma de Langen None
Ren Haskell None
Vicky Humphreys None
Stephen Gregory Martin None
Scott McKenzie None Incumbent councillor[6][7]

Mangakahia-Maungatapere general ward

Mangakahia-Maungatapere general ward returned one councillor to the district council.[1]

Candidate[8] Affiliation Notes
Simon Reid Independent Incumbent councillor[7]
Tim Robinson None

Whangārei Heads general ward

Whangārei Heads general ward returned one councillor to the district council.[1]

Candidate[8] Affiliation Notes
Tangiwai Baker None
Spencer Penney None
Jon Twyman None
Anthony Huon Wild None

Whangārei Urban general ward

Whangārei Urban general ward returned five councillors to the district council.[1]

Candidate[8] Affiliation Notes
Jesse Card None
Crichton Christie None
Nicholas Connop None Incumbent councillor[6][7]
Philip George Cullen None
Tony Dingle Independent
Tiana Epati None
Brad Flower Independent Also ran for mayor
Jayne Golightly Independent Incumbent councillor[7]
Paul Gosling None
Gabriel Henry None
Heath Kewene None
Marie Olsen Independent Incumbent councillor.[7] Also ran for mayor.
Julie Pepper None
Carol Peters None Incumbent councillor[6][7]
Jodie Rameka None
Adam Young Independent
Paul Yovich Independent Incumbent councillor[6][7]

Results

2025 Whangārei mayoral election

2025 Whangārei mayoral election[12][13]
Affiliation Candidate Primary vote % Iteration vote Final %
Independent Ken Couper 8,668 28.43 #4 12,418 50.89
Independent Vince Cocurullo† 8,173 26.81 #4 11,983 49.11
Independent Marie Olsen 6,746 22.13 #3 8,323
Independent Brad Flower 5,786 18.98 #2 5,895
Independent Fiona Green 708 2.32 #1 708
Quota 15,041 49.33 #4 12,201 50.00
Informal 64 0.21
Blank 345 1.13
Turnout 30,490
Registered
Independent gain from Independent on 4th iteration
† incumbent

Bream Bay general ward

Bream Bay general ward[12][13]
Affiliation Candidate Primary vote % Iteration vote[c]
ACT Local Matthew Yovich 1,698 33.04 #1 1,698
Independent David Baldwin 987 19.20 #4 1,472
Independent Simon Schuster 853 16.60 #4 1,218
Independent Paul Grace 706 13.74 #2 779
Independent Shilane Shirkey 460 9.12 #1 469
Independent Ken Couper withdrawn (elected mayor)
Quota 1,571 30.56 #4 1,368
Informal 58 1.13
Blank 84 1.63
Turnout 5,140
Registered
ACT Local gain from Independent on 1st iteration
Independent gain from Independent on 4th iteration

Hikurangi-Coastal general ward

Hikurangi-Coastal general ward[12][13]
Affiliation Candidate Primary vote % Iteration vote[c]
Independent Scott McKenzie† 1,243 28.98 #4 1,359
Independent Stephen Martin 956 22.29 #6 1,260
Independent Susy Bretherton 873 20.35 #6 1,149
Independent Chanelle Armstrong 385 8.98 #4 506
Independent Norma de Langen 291 6.78 #3 318
Independent Vicky Humphreys 231 5.39 #2 242
Independent Ren Haskell 143 3.33 #1 143
Quota 1,374 32.04 #6 1,231
Informal 40 0.93
Blank 87 2.3
Turnout 4,289
Registered
Independent hold on 4th iteration
Independent gain from Independent on 6th iteration
† incumbent

Mangakahia-Maungatapere general ward

Mangakahia-Maungatapere general ward[12]
Affiliation Candidate Primary vote %
Independent Simon Reid† 1,476 58.09
Independent Tim Robinson 1,003 39.47
Quota 1,240 48.80
Informal 4 0.16
Blank 58 2.28
Turnout 2,541
Registered
Independent hold on 1st iteration
† incumbent

Whangārei Heads general ward

Whangārei Heads general ward[12][13]
Affiliation Candidate Primary vote % Iteration vote[c]
Independent Tangiwai Baker 1,253 39.11 #3 1,406
Independent Spence Penney 1,076 33.58 #3 1,288
Independent Anthony Wild 472 14.73 #2 601
Independent Jon Twyman 337 10.52 #1 337
Quota 1,569 48.97 #3 1,347
Informal 5 0.16
Blank 61 1.90
Turnout 3,204
Registered
Independent gain from Independent on 3rd iteration

Whangārei Urban general ward

Whangārei Urban general ward[12][13]
Affiliation Candidate Primary vote % Iteration vote[c]
Independent Marie Olsen† 2,076 17.67 #1 2,076
Independent Brad Flower 1,797 15.29 #10 1,889
Independent Nicholas Connop† 1,484 12.63 16 1,874
Independent Paul Yovich† 1,047 8.91 18 1,877
Independent Chrichton Christie 1,182 10.06 #19 1,812
Independent Carol Peters† 932 7.93 #19 1,549
Independent Jayne Golightly† 609 5.18 #16 976
Independent Philip Cullen 513 4.37 #15 645
Independent Tony Dingle 449 3.82 #14 582
Independent Tiana Epati 385 3.28 #11 502
Independent Jesse Card 243 2.07 #10 280
Independent Jodie Rameka 189 1.61 #9 210
Independent Paul Gosling 151 1.28 #8 159
Independent Julie Pepper 100 0.85 #7 117
Independent Heath Kewene 87 0.74 #6 98
Independent Adam Young 94 0.80 #4 96
Independent Gabriel Henry 59 0.50 #2 60
Quota 1,900 16.17 #19 1,762
Informal 160 1.36
Blank 194 1.65
Turnout 11,751
Registered
Independent hold on 1st iteration
Independent gain from Independent on 10th iteration
Independent hold on 16th iteration
Independent hold on 18th iteration
Independent gain from Independent on 19th iteration
† incumbent

Whangārei District Māori ward

Whangārei District Māori ward[12]
Affiliation Candidate Primary vote %
Independent Pheonix Ruka† 1,426 39.56
Independent Deb Harding† 1,355 37.59
Independent Sheila Taylor 711 19.72
Quota 1,164 32.29
Informal 31 0.86
Blank 82 2.27
Turnout 3,605
Registered
Independent gain from Te Pāti Māori[d] on 1st iteration
Independent hold on 1st iteration
† incumbent

Māori wards referendum

Referendum on Māori wards[12]
Choice Votes %
I vote to REMOVE Māori constituencies 16,219 53.19
I vote to KEEP Māori constituencies 13,206 43.31
Informal 16 0.05
Blank 1,049 3.44
Turnout 30,490 45.00
Registered 67,761
Result: Māori wards to be abolished at next election.

Notes

  1. ^
    • 3 councillors fully elected from the district in the Whangārei Central, Coastal Central, and Coastal South general constituencies
    • 3 councillors partially elected from the district in the Mid North general, Kaipara general, and Te Raki Māori constituencies, respectively
  2. ^ 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. Whangārei District Council does not allow election slogans to be used for the affiliation.[9]
  3. ^ a b c d Rounded to whole number
  4. ^ Incumbent changed affiliation

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "2025 Local Elections Guide" (PDF). www.wdc.govt.nz. Whangarei District Council. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  2. ^ a b "2025 – Local elections". www.nrc.govt.nz. Northland Regional Council. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  3. ^ "FACT SHEET | PEPA MEKA" (PDF). www.nrc.govt.nz. Northland Regional Council. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  4. ^ Botting, Susan (2 November 2020). "Whangārei District Council to have Māori wards from 2022". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  5. ^ de Graaf, Peter (29 August 2024). "Whangārei District Council votes against scrapping Māori ward". RNZ. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Botting, Susan (6 April 2025). "Local elections: Two Northland Mayors face in-house challenges". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Mayor and Councillors". www.wdc.govt.nz. Whangarei District Council. Retrieved 19 April 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Candidates". www.wdc.govt.nz. Whangārei District Council. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
  9. ^ "2025 CANDIDATE INFORMATION HANDBOOK" (PDF). www.wdc.govt.nz. Whangārei District Council. p. 13. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  10. ^ a b Piper, Denise (17 August 2022). "Whangārei mayoral race: Mix of experience and youth running to succeed Sheryl Mai". Stuff. Retrieved 29 July 2025.
  11. ^ ACT New Zealand (25 June 2025). "ACT Announces Matthew Yovich As ACT Local Candidate For Whangarei". www.scoop.co.nz. Scoop. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h "Local Government Elections 2025 – Final" (PDF). Whangārei District Council. 17 October 2025.
  13. ^ a b c d e "2025 Whangārei District Council election - full iteration reports". Internet Archive. Whangārei District Council. 24 February 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.