2025 Gisborne District Council election

2025 Gisborne District Council election
11 October 2025
TurnoutTBD
Mayoral election
Mayor before election

Rehette Stoltz
Independent

Elected mayor

TBD

Council election
All 13 ward seats on the Gisborne District Council
Incumbents before election
Affiliation Seats Change
  Independents 13
First preference vote share of elected councillors by ward

The 2025 Gisborne District Council election is an upcoming local election to be held from 9 September to 11 October in the Gisborne District of New Zealand as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Voters will elect the mayor of Gisborne and 13 district councillors for the 2025–2028 term of the Gisborne District Council. Postal voting and the single transferable voting system will be used.

The council introduced a Māori ward at the 2022 election; its future will be decided in a referendum on the issue, as part of a nation-wide series of referendums.

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]

Background

Positions up for election

Voters in the district will elect the mayor of Gisborne and 13 district councillors in 2 wards.

Campaign

List of candidates

Incumbents not seeking re-election

  • Ani Pahuru-Huriwai, councillor for the Māori ward since 2022[2]
  • Tony Robinson, councillor for the general ward, resigned to take up the position of key account manager for the council[2][3]
  • Josh Wharehinga, deputy mayor and councillor since 2014[4]

Mayor

Candidate[1] Affiliation[a] Notes
Colin Alder None Incumbent councillor.[6][7] Also running for re-election as a councillor for the Tairāwhiti general ward.
Jono Samson None Former contestant on Lego Masters NZ. Also running to be a councillor for the Tairāwhiti general ward.[8]
Rehette Stoltz None Incumbent mayor since 2019[2][7]

Councillors

Tairāwhiti Māori ward

Tairāwhiti Māori ward will return five councillors to the district council.[9]

Candidate[1] Affiliation[a] Notes
Jackie Akuhata-Brown None
Raawiri Gilgen None
Chris Haenga None
Anne Huriwai None
Mateawa Keelan None
Elizabeth Kerekere None Former Green Party MP (2020-2023)[8][10]
Rawinia Parata None Incumbent councillor since 2022[11][7]
Aubrey Ria None Incumbent councillor since 2022[11][7]
Kat Taylor None
Rhonda Tibble None Incumbent councillor since 2022[11][7]
Nick Tupara None Incumbent councillor since 2022[11][7]

Tairāwhiti General ward

The Tairāwhiti General ward will return eight councillors to the district council.[9]

Candidate[1] Affiliation[a] Notes
Colin Adler None Incumbent councillor.[6][7] Also running for mayor.
Ian Allan None
Alexandra Boros Independent Artist and interior designer[12]
Darin Brown None Previously ran for mayor and for the council in the Māori ward in 2022[13]
Grant Brown None
Marcel Campbell Independent
Andy Cranston None Incumbent councillor for over 20 years[2][7]
Jodie Curtis None
Larry Foster None Incumbent councillor since 2016[2][7]
Samuel Gibson None Author and conservationist known as "Sam the Trap Man"[8]
Debbie Gregory Independent Incumbent councillor since 2019[2][7]
Gazza McKenzie None
Jeremy Muir None Former editor of the Gisborne Herald.[8]
Ian George Procter Independent Former public servant. Previously ran for council in the Māori ward in 2022.[14][15]
Jono Samson None
Rob Telfer None Incumbent councillor[7]
Teddy Thompson Independent Incumbent councillor[7]
Jordan Walker None Green Party endorsed[16]
Blake Neil Webb None

Notes

  1. ^ a b c 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. Gisborne District Council does not allow election slogans to be used for the affiliation.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "2025 local elections". www.gdc.govt.nz. Gisborne District Council. 1 August 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Campbell, Zita (5 March 2025). "Gisborne Election: Mayor to run again, three councillors to step down". Stuff. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  3. ^ Campbell, Zita (17 April 2025). "From one council role to another: 'Now I get to do the action stuff'". Gisborne Herald. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  4. ^ Campbell, Zita (2 January 2025). "Gisborne deputy mayor Josh Wharehinga won't seek re-election after 12 years in local government". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  5. ^ "Puka whakamārama kaitono rohē pōti | Candidate information handbook 2025" (PDF). www.gdc.govt.nz. Gisborne District Council. p. 13. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b Wrigley, Wynsley (14 July 2025). "Gisborne councillor Colin Alder considers another run for mayor". Gisborne Herald. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Councillor contact details". www.gdc.govt.nz. Gisborne District Council. 11 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d Campbell, Zita (5 August 2025). "Lego master and ex-Green MP among candidates for Gisborne council". The Gisborne Herald. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Determination" (PDF). www.lgc.govt.nz. Local Government Commission. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  10. ^ Campbell, Zita. "Former Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere runs for Māori Ward". 1News. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d Campbell, Zita. "Four out of five Māori Ward Gisborne Councillors to seek re-election". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  12. ^ Campbell, Zita (1 August 2025). "'People over politics': Candidate's vision for Gisborne's future". Gisborne Herald. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  13. ^ "Gisborne mayoral candidate stands by social media image of him wearing swastika". The New Zealand Herald. 27 August 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  14. ^ Campbell, Zita (25 July 2025). "'P for positive': Former public servant running for Gisborne councillor role". Gisborne Herald. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Ian George Procter - Candidate for Gisborne District Council - 2022". Policy.nz. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  16. ^ "Jordan Walker". www.greens.org.nz. Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
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