2025 Dunedin mayoral election

2025 Dunedin mayoral election
11 October 2025
Mayor before election

Jules Radich

 Elected mayor

TBD

The 2025 Dunedin mayoral election is an upcoming local election to be held from 9 September to 11 October in Dunedin, New Zealand, as part of that year's city council election and nation-wide local elections. Voters will elect the mayor of Dunedin for the 2025–2028 term of the Dunedin City Council. Postal voting and the single transferable vote system will be used.

Key dates

  • 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates will open
  • 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates will close at 12 pm
  • 9 September 2025: Voting documents will be posted and voting will open
  • 11 October 2025: Voting will close at 12 pm and progress/preliminary results will be published
  • 16–19 October 2025: Final results will be declared.[1][2]

Background

Electoral system

The election will be held using the Single Transferable Vote system.[3] Voting will take place by post and through the returning of completed voting papers to ballot boxes.[4]

Campaign

List of candidates

Declared candidates

Candidate[5] Photo Affiliation Notes
Lync Aronson Independent-Fully Funded City Council Also running for council[6]
Sophie Barker Independent - working for you City councillor since 2019, and former deputy mayor (2022-2023).[7] Previously ran for mayor in 2022.[8][6] Also running for re-election as a councillor.
Doug Hall None Also running for council[6]
Carmen Houlahan Independent City councillor since 2019.[9] Previously ran for mayor in 2022.[8][6] Also running for re-election as a councillor.
Marie Laufiso Building Kotahitaka Incumbent councillor since 2016.[6][10] Also running for re-election as a councillor.
Lianna MacFarlane Independent Hypnotherapist and life coach.[6] Also running to be a councillor.
Mandy Mayhem None City councillor since 2022.[11][6] Previously ran for mayor in 2022.[8] Also running for re-election as a councillor.
David Milne None Previously ran for mayor in 2022.[8][6] Also running for council.
Flynn "Nisvett" Nisbett Aotearoa New Zealand Silly Hat Party Leader (king), Aotearoa New Zealand Silly Hat Party.[12][6] Joke party candidate.
Benedict Ong None Former international banker.[6] Also running to be a councillor.
Jules Radich Incumbent mayor since 2022,[13] and leader of the Team Dunedin ticket.[14]
Zenith Rose-Wills
(aka Ruthven Allimrac) 		The Radical Action Faction Climate activist[6]
Andrew Simms Future Dunedin Businessman, Mosgiel-Taieri Community board chair, and leader of the Future Dunedin ticket.[13][15] Also running for council.
Pamela Taylor Independent Previously ran for the mayoralty in 2022.[16][6] Also running to be a councillor.
Mickey Treadwell Green Video game programmer and part-time lecturer.[17][6] Also running to be a councillor.
Lee Vandervis Independent City councillor since 2004 and perennial candidate.[11][6] Previously ran for mayor in 2022.[8] Also running for re-election as a councillor.

Endorsements

On 17 June 2025, former Team Dunedin Councillors Andrew Whiley and Kevin Gilbert endorsed Sophie Barker as mayoral candidate. They along with fellow Team Dunedin councillor Brent Weatherall declined to endorse Jules Radich for a second term as Mayor of Dunedin.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Pukapuka Aratohu Kaitonopōti | Candidate Handbook" (PDF). www.dunedin.govt.nz. Dunedin City Council. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
  2. ^ "2025 Elections". www.orc.govt.nz. Otago Regional Council. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  3. ^ "STV Information". Department of Internal Affairs. Archived from the original on 8 February 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  4. ^ "Elections". Dunedin City Council. 12 June 2025. Archived from the original on 19 March 2025. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  5. ^ "2025 Triennial Elections | Dunedin City Council". www.electionz.com. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Ward, Tara (7 August 2025). "More people want to be mayor of Dunedin than anywhere else. So who are they?". The Spinoff. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
  7. ^ Shaw, Ruby (14 June 2025). "Mayoral candidate ready to step up". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 14 June 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Mayoral candidate profiles - Dunedin". Otago Daily Times. 9 September 2022. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  9. ^ Miller, Grant (2 July 2025). "Houlahan joining race for mayoralty". Otago Daily Times Online News. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Mayor and Councillors". www.dunedin.govt.nz. Dunedin City Council. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  11. ^ a b Shaw, Ruby (22 May 2025). "Eighth time lucky for Vandervis in mayoral bid?". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  12. ^ NisVett, Flynn (2 June 2025). "Flynn NisVett puts hat in the ring for Dunedin Mayoralty". Silly Hat Party. Archived from the original on 3 June 2025. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  13. ^ a b Manhire, Toby (7 February 2025). "Who is in and who is out in the big mayoral races of 2025?". The Spinoff. Archived from the original on 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  14. ^ Miller, Grant (12 October 2024). "Radich keen to keep hold of mayoral chain". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 21 May 2025.
  15. ^ MacLean, Hamish (17 March 2025). "New 'Future Dunedin' DCC ticket declared". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 20 May 2025.
  16. ^ McNeilly, Hamish (18 August 2022). "Conspiracy theorist Pamela Taylor running for Dunedin mayoralty". Stuff. Retrieved 31 July 2025.
  17. ^ "Thriving communities sought by Greens candidates". Otago Daily Times. 27 May 2025. Archived from the original on 26 May 2025. Retrieved 26 May 2025.
  18. ^ Shaw, Ruby (17 June 2025). "Radich allies switch to Barker". Otago Daily Times. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
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