The 2025 Dunedin City Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in Dunedin, New Zealand, as part of that year's territorial authority elections and other local elections held nation-wide.
Voters elected the mayor of Dunedin and 14 city councillors, and other local representatives for the 2025–2028 term of the Dunedin City Council. Postal voting and the single transferable vote system were used.
Councillor Sophie Barker won the mayoralty, defeating incumbent mayor Jules Radich.
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.
Background
Positions up for election Voters in the city elected the mayor of Dunedin, 14 city councillors at-large, the members of six community boards, and the members of the Oamaru Licensing Trust. They also elected 7 members of the Otago Regional Council.
Campaign
Debates On 17 June 2025, Dunedin climate advocate Bruce Mahalski held a public meeting for DCC council and mayoral candidates to field questions on climate change issues including a commercial train service, the city's Zero Carbon Plan 2030, and relations between the DCC and Otago Regional Council (ORC). Mayoral candidates Cr Sophie Barker and Andrew Simms, and city council candidates Cr Marie Laufiso, Cr Jim O'Malley and Lily Warring spoke at the meeting, which was attended by 50 people.
Issues One key election issue has been the proposed landfill site at Smooth Hill. While the incumbent Mayor Jules Radich has supported the Smooth Hill landfill site, mayoral candidate Andrew Simms and his Future Dunedin ticket have opposed the new landfill site.
On 23 September, 15 left-wing DCC and ORC candidates established an alternative progressive alliance called "The People's Hub" to advocate on shared values such as climate action, social justice, traffic speed reductions and reviving passenger trains. The group consisted of candidates from the Labour, Green parties, the Radical Action Faction and Building Kotahitaka including Cr Steve Walker, Cr Marie Laufiso, Cr Alan Somerville and ORC candidate Alex King. The group established a hub at the corner of George Street and Moray Place in Dunedin to promote their causes and encourage people to vote.
List of candidates Incumbents not seeking re-election David Benson-Pope, incumbent councillor since 2013
Mayor
Incumbent mayor Jules Radich would stand again as an independent candidate. Other independent candidates included councillors Sophie Barker, Carmen Houlahan, Mandy Mayhem, and Lee Vandervis. Candidates that stood under a ticket were Marie Laufiso as the Building Kotahitaka candidate,Scott, Tim "Out-of-the box solutions the key", Otago Daily Times, 5 Aug 2025, retrieved 19 Aug 2025 Andrew Simms as the Future Dunedin candidate and Mickey Treadwell as the Green candidate.
Endorsements In mid June 2025, former Team Dunedin councillors Andrew Whiley and Kevin Gilbert endorsed Sophie Barker as mayoral candidate.
Councillors Fourteen councillors were elected at-large to the city council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesBill AcklinIndependentIncumbent councillorLachlan AkersNoneLync AronsonIndependent-Fully Funded City CouncilAlso ran for mayorSophie BarkerIndependent – working for youIncumbent councillor. Also ran for mayor.Tony BennettNoneRachel BrazilIndependentLawyer. Was previously affiliated with the Future Dunedin ticket but withdrew on 20 August after facing criticism for sharing a leaked confidential report about DCC chief executive Sandy Graham.Heike Cebulla-ElderNoneHigh School teacherJohn ChambersYour Health CandidateFormer head of the emergency department at Dunedin HospitalSarah Davie-NitisIndependentCyndee ElderBuilding KotahitakaCreator of Able Abodes, a tiny home project.Rose FinnieGreenSupport workerJo GalerIndependent Leader of the Southern Heritage Trust and Otago Regional Council communications professional She left the Future Dunedin ticket to stand as an independent candidate in late August 2025 following disagreements with the leadership.Christine GareyIndependentIncumbent councillorKevin GilbertIndependentIncumbent councillorJett GroshinskiLabourOtago University Students' Association politics representative and 2022 mayoral and local council candidateDoug HallNoneAlso ran for mayorRobert HamlinIndependentUniversity of Otago Business School lecturer. Was previously running under the Future Dunedin ticket until he was removed after he circulated an email criticising the use of karakia (Māori prayers) at university meetings.Karl HartNoneJarrod HodsonFuture DunedinWest Harbour community board member and commercial managerCarmen HoulahanIndependentIncumbent councillor. Also ran for mayor.Marita JohnsonIndependentPreviously stood for council in 2022Anthony KennyACT LocalFormer Royal New Zealand Navy servicemanAnna KnightBuilding KotahitakaRichard KnightsIndependentMarie LaufisoBuilding KotahitakaIncumbent councillor. Also ran for mayor.Cherry LucasIndependentDeputy mayor and incumbent city councillorRussell LundIndependentLianna MacFarlaneIndependentAlso ran for mayorMandy MayhemNoneIncumbent councillor. Also ran for mayor.David MilneIndependentAlso ran for mayor.Jim O'MalleyIndependentIncumbent councillorHugh "Captain" O'NeillIndependentJen OlsenThe Radical Action FactionBenedict OngNoneAlso ran for mayorMarian PooleNonePaul PopeIndependentIncumbent chair of the Otago Peninsula community boardBruce RangaFuture DunedinFormer CEO of the Torres Strait Island Regional Council and member of the Te Pae Oranga Iwi Community PanelEvelyn RobertsonIndependentEvents Lead Dunedin Pride Daniel RooneyNoneAndrew SimmsFuture DunedinBusinessman, Mosgiel-Taieri Community Board chairman and founder of Future Dunedin. Also ran for mayor.Conrad StedmanFuture DunedinFormer city councillorAndrew SuttonFuture DunedinPresident of Taieri Cricket Club and school boards chairpersonAmy TaylorFuture DunedinVolunteer and disability advocatePamela TaylorIndependentPreviously ran for council and for the mayoralty in 2022. Also ran for mayor.Sue ToddIndependentMickey TreadwellGreenVideo game programmer and part-time lecturer. Also ran for mayor.Rebecca TwemlowFuture DunedinDirector of Business South and former Vice President of the Otago Chamber of CommerceLee Vandervis IndependentIncumbent councillor. Also ran for mayor.Steve WalkerLabourIncumbent councillorLily WarringGreenVisual designerBrent WeatherallNoneIncumbent councillor since 2022Andrew WhileyIndependentIncumbent councillorPaul WilliamsNone
Results
Composition
Mayor
Councillor Sophie Barker was confirmed as mayor, with Andrew Simms coming in second place. Incumbent mayor Jules Radich came in fourth place, behind councillor Lee Vandervis.
Council
Aftermath Following the death of Cr and former Mayor Jules Radich, the Dunedin City Council announced that a by-election would be held on 12 May 2026.
See also 2025 Queenstown-Lakes District Council election
Notes
References