The 2025 Porirua City Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in Porirua, New Zealand, as part of that year's territorial authority elections and other local elections held nation-wide.
Voters elected the mayor of Porirua and 10 city councillors for the 2025–2028 term of the Porirua City Council. Postal voting and the single transferable vote system were used.
Incumbent mayor Anita Baker won re-election to a third term.
The council introduced a Māori ward at the 2022 election; in a referendum on its future held at this election (as part of a nation-wide series of referendums) voters elected to keep the Māori ward.
A majority of voters also voted in favour of exploring amalgamation with the Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Greater Wellington councils, in an indicative poll on the issue.
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 Porirua and 10 city councillors across 3 wards. They also elected several members of the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Māori wards referendum In May 2021, the Porirua City Council voted to establish a Māori ward, with the Māori ward first contested in the 2022 elections.
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 unanimously to affirm their decision to establish the Māori constituency, thereby triggering a referendum on the constituency to be held alongside the 2025 local elections.
Amalgamation referendum In May 2025, Porirua City Council voted to also hold an indicative referendum alongside the election regarding potential amalgamation of the council with Wellington City Council, Hutt City Council, Upper Hutt City Council and Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Campaign
List of candidates Incumbents not seeking re-election Tracy Johnson, incumbent councillor for the Pāuatahanui general ward
Mayor CandidatePhotoAffiliation NotesAnita BakerIndependentIncumbent mayor since 2019Kathleen FiloIndependentCouncillor for the Onepoto ward since 2022. Also ran for re-election as a councillor in the Onepoto general ward.Ura Wilson-PokoatiIndependentAlso ran to be a councillor in the Onepoto general ward
Councillors Parirua Māori ward Parirua Māori ward returned one councillor to the city council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesRaniera (Daniel) AlbertIndependentRawinia Te RimeneIndependentJess Te HuiaIndependentPreviously ran for the council in the Onepoto general ward in 2022Kylie WihapiNoneIncumbent councillor and deputy mayor
Onepoto General ward The Onepoto General ward returned five councillors to the city council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesMiriam AlbertIndependentAngel DomingosNoneMike DuncanNoneIncumbent councillorChris EllisNoneCommunity lawyerHemi FermanisReal Talk, Real ChangeKathleen FiloIndependentIncumbent councillor. Also ran for mayor.Jaistone FinauNoneIzzy FordNoneIncumbent councillorMoze GaloNoneIncumbent councillorGeoff HaywardLabourIncumbent councillorSharon HillingNoneZac PaintingGreenPolicy analyst and teacherSiobhan SamuelNoneUra Wilson-PokoatiIndependentAlso ran for mayorYan ZhangShared Kitchen and Sensory Hub Builder
Pāuatahanui General ward The Pāuatahanui General ward returned four councillors to the city council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesBrent ChingNonePreviously ran for council in 2022Phill HoulihanACT LocalBarber and law studentMoira LawlerNoneCommunity advocateRoss LeggettIndependentIncumbent councillorPaul NationNoneAditi TiwariGreenStudent at Victoria University of WellingtonJosh TrlinLabourIncumbent councillorNathan WaddleIndependentIncumbent councillor
Results
Overall turnout was 40.7%, with 17,623 voting papers returned.
With final results, the following candidates were declared elected:
Summary WardPreviousElectedMayorAnita BakerAnita BakerOnepotoKathleen FiloKathleen FiloGeoff HaywardGeoff HaywardMike DuncanMike DuncanIzzy FordIzzy FordMoze GaloHemi FermanisPāuatahanui Josh Trlin Josh TrlinNathan WaddleNathan WaddleRoss LeggettRoss LeggettTracy JohnsonMoira LawlerParirua MāoriKylie WihapiKylie Wihapi – an incumbent that did not run for re-election
Mayor Incumbent mayor Anita Baker won re-election to a third term.
Onepoto General Ward
Pāuatahanui General Ward
Parirua Māori ward Incumbent deputy mayor Kylie Wihapi won re-election to the council by only 11 votes over second-place candidate Jess Te Huia. Te Huia filed for a recount. The Porirua District Court conducted the recount and subsequently disallowed two special votes from Wihapi. However, this still resulted in Wihapi winning re-election.
Māori ward referendum
Amalgamation referendum A majority of Porirua voters voted in favour of exploring amalgamation with the Wellington, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt councils.
See also 2025 Greater Wellington Regional Council election 2025 Wellington City Council election 2025 Kāpiti Coast District Council election 2025 Hutt City Council election 2025 Upper Hutt City Council election
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