The 2025 New Zealand local elections () were triennial elections held from 9 September until 11 October 2025 to elect local mayors and councillors, regional councillors, and members of various other local government bodies.
All 11 of New Zealand's regions and 66 of New Zealand's 67 cities and districts participated in the elections; 42 councils also held local referendums on the status of Māori wards. Tauranga City Council did not hold an election or a referendum as they recently held an election in 2024.
Key dates Key dates relating to the local elections are as follows: 4 JulyCandidate nominations opened 10 July Māori roll electoral option enrollment closed 1 August Enrolment closed for the printed electoral roll Candidate nominations close6 AugustCandidate names announced9 September Start of voting period16–21 September Voting documents sent to all enrolled voters by local councils4 October Last day to post ballot to ensure delivery10 October Last day to enrol to vote 11 October Polling day — Voting closes middayPreliminary results to be released as soon as readily available afterwards.
Background
Rates increases Rate increases in the years preceding the election were reportedly high in several councils across the country. The aftermath of natural disasters in some parts of the country and long term rates increase deferrals were some of the things blamed. Incumbent Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry (who was not seeking re-election) warned voters to be wary of candidates who talked about lowering rates without detailing a plan on what would be cut to accommodate.
In late August 2025, the lobby group New Zealand Taxpayers' Union released its "Ratepayers Protection Pledge" for mayoral and council candidates to sign. The three-point pledge stated that signatories would oppose any increases to council rates and levies, support measures to improve transparency of council expenditure and oppose unelected appointments to council committees with spending and regulatory powers. In early September 2025, several Dunedin mayoral candidates including Marie Laufiso, Future Dunedin leader Andrew Simms and Green candidate Mickey Treadwell accused the Taxpayers' Union of bullying candidates and breaching impartiality rules. In response, the Taxpayer Union's head of communications Tony Relf rejected accusations of bullying and badgering, and claimed that the public supported a rates cap.
In mid-September 2025, a RNZ-Reid research poll found that 75.1% of New Zealanders supported the Government imposing a cap on local council rates. 14.1% of respondents opposed imposing a rates cap while 10.8% did not know. The poll also found that a rates cap was popular among voters across all political parties, particularly National Party (82.4%), ACT (91.9%) and New Zealand First (87.3%) voters. A plurality of self-identified Labour (70.2%), Green (56.2%) and Te Pāti Māori (59.7%) voters supported a rates cap.
Māori wards In 2023, the newly-formed Sixth National Government and its coalition partners ACT and New Zealand First pledged to "restore the right of local referendum on the establishment or ongoing use of Māori wards and constituencies."
Under the government's change to the law, referendums will be held in 42 of the 45 local councils that had introduced Māori wards following the 2021 law change. Two councils, the Kaipara District Council and the Upper Hutt City Council, voted to disestablish their Māori wards rather than hold referendums.
Participation and turnout There were concerns that the 2025 local elections will continue the pattern of decreasing participation, both in terms of number of candidates and in terms of turnout. Talking to Newsroom, Central Otago mayor Tamah Alley called it a "real concern" and a "threat to democracy". Similar concerns about the low number of candidates were expressed by Regional and Unitary Councils Aotearoa (Te Uru Kahika).
In the previous election, about two fifths of eligible electors voted. This follows the trend that has been almost continuous since the 1989 local government reforms, with 2010 being the only major blip due to the establishment of Auckland Council.
Local Government New Zealand formed an electoral reform working group, chaired by Nelson mayor Nick Smith, that delivered a report on 17 July. The report recommended that New Zealand implement in-person voting nationwide for local elections in 2028 (currently postal voting is used) and have the Electoral Commission take over the running of local elections (currently it is run by the councils themselves, usually with them hiring private companies such as ElectioNZ.com and Election Services).
The working group will also consider four year terms, similar to the incumbent National government's plans for parliament. The working group was not considering online voting.
Notable Asian candidates contesting the regional council elections have included Yadana Saw and Omar Faruque in Greater Wellington, Syed Khurram Iqbal in Hawke's Bay and Alan Wang in Environment Canterbury.
Campaign
Mayoral races In Northland, incumbent mayor Moko Tepania faced off against councillor Ann Court for the Far North mayoralty and Whangārei mayor Vince Cocorullo ran against councillor Ken Couper. Craig Jepson, Kaipara mayor and self-described "Trump of the North" did not stand for re-election, instead backing his deputy Jonathan Larsen for the position. Councillor Ash Nayyar and businessman Snow Tane also contested the race.
In Auckland, incumbent centre-right mayor Wayne Brown announced his candidacy for re-election; standing under his group Fix Auckland. Going into the election it seemed his main challenger would be incumbent Whau ward councillor Kerrin Leoni, a member of the Labour Party (though not officially endorsed).
In Hamilton, incumbent centrist mayor Paula Southgate did not run for re-election. Instead, left-leaning councillor Sarah Thomson contested the election against former National MP Tim Macindoe.
Incumbent mayor Tania Tapsell ran again in Rotorua. Rehette Stoltz stood for re-election in Gisborne.
In Hawke's Bay, incumbent mayor Kirsten Wise faced councillor Richard McGrath in the Napier mayoral election. Incumbent Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst retired, with councillors Wendy Schollum and Marcus Buddo, as well as businessman Steve Gibson, in the contest.
Neil Holdom did not seek re-election in New Plymouth. The mayoralty was instead contested by candidates including incumbent deputy mayor David Bublitz and councillors Sam Bennett and Max Brough.
Incumbent mayor Grant Smith again stood for re-election in Palmerston North. Councillor Orphée Mickalad was also a candidate. Andrew Tripe sought re-election in Whanganui, with councillors Peter Oskam and Josh Chandulal-Mackay challenging him.
Labour mayor Campbell Barry did not run for re-election in Lower Hutt. Councillors Karen Morgan and Brady Dyer confirmed they would run, as well as Indian-dance instructor Prabha Ravi. "World-famous-in-Wainuiomata" Ken Laban also ran.
Tory Whanau, the Green endorsed incumbent mayor of Wellington, announced she wouldn't run again in the mayoral election. Former leader of the Labour Party, Andrew Little, was seen as the frontrunner; he ran for the mayoralty as the Labour candidate. Among the other candidates for the mayoralty were incumbent councillors Ray Chung, running under the Independent Together ticket, and Diane Calvert, former councillor Rob Goulden, former accountant Alex Baker and businessman Karl Tiefenbacher.
In Nelson, former National minister and incumbent mayor Nick Smith stood for re-election. Marlborough mayor Nadine Taylor also stood for re-election.
In Christchurch, centre-right incumbent mayor Phil Mauger sought re-election. He was challenged by "green-tinged" councillor Sara Templeton. Other candidates included perennial candidate Tubby Hansen and white supremacist Philip Arps.
Centre-right incumbent Dunedin mayor Jules Radich sought re-election to the city's mayoralty. He was up against "slightly left-of-centre" businessman Andrew Simms, Green Party candidate Mickey Treadwell, and councillors Sophie Barker, Lee Vandervis, Mandy Mayhem, and Carmen Houlahan.
John Glover and Nik Kiddle were in the running against incumbent Glyn Lewers in Queenstown-Lakes. Tamah Alley also stood for re-election in Central Otago. New Zealand's youngest mayor, Ben Bell, stood for re-election in Gore. Nobby Clark, the controversial incumbent mayor of Invercargill, did not stand for re-election. Councillors Alex Crackett, Ian Pottiger, Tom Campbell (deputy mayor), and Ria Bond (former NZ First MP) were in the running.
Central government parties
ACT New Zealand
In mid-March 2025, ACT leader David Seymour announced that the party would be fielding candidates during the 2025 local elections, marking the first time that the party would contest local body elections. ACT candidates would be expected to raise their own funds. Seymour said that the party would focus on lower rates, ending "wasteful spending," and racial equality. The move would be the first time a national-level right wing party had run candidates in local races directly.
The party did not intend to field any Māori ward or mayoral candidates. In a press release published on Scoop, the party said their candidates would oppose attempts to manage emissions by local councils, describing climate action taken by councils as "grandstanding" and "virtue signalling".
The party announced forty-six candidates who would compete in the elections.
Alliance Party On 10 June, the Alliance Party announced that librarian and musician Tom Roud would run for a seat on the Christchurch City Council. While the party had been de-registered as a parliamentary eligible party by the Electoral Commission in 2015, party president Victor Billot asserted the party never fully went away.
Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand The Green Party announced they would campaign on a pro-Māori ward position. In a press release on their website, they stressed commitment to sustainability, te tiriti, and community were what Green affiliated and endorsed candidates represented. They said that Green candidates want "bold" and "transformative" action on local issues and issues that affect all areas of the country, like climate change.
The party announced in April that Tory Whanau would run for the Wellington mayoralty as a Green candidate. She had previously been endorsed in 2022 by the party but had officially run as an independent. On 29 April, it was announced Whanau would not run for the mayoralty again. This came after Andrew Little said he would run for Labour, Whanau saying she didn't want the race to be "progressive vs progressive". She instead would run for the city's Māori ward.
Incumbents Laurie Foon and Geordie Rogers, as well as newcomer Jonny Osborne, were announced as Green candidates for wards on the Wellington City Council. Yadana Saw would run again for her position on the Greater Wellington Regional Council. It was announced on 6 May that incumbent Labour councillor Rebecca Matthews would run for the Greens in the Wharangi ward.
High school teacher and photographer Zac Painting was the sole Green candidate for Porirua City Council.
In late May, incumbent Green Otago regional councillor Alan Somerville confirmed he would be seeking a second term as councillor, while video game programmer Mickey Treadwell announced that he would be running as the Greens' mayoral candidate alongside contesting a seat on the Dunedin City Council. Other Green candidates in Dunedin included visual designer Lily Waring and support worker Rose Finnie.
The two incumbent Green councillors on the Palmerston North City Council (Brent Barrett and Kaydee Zabelin) were endorsed by the party for re-election in late May.