The 2025 Palmerston North City Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in Palmerston North, New Zealand, as part of that year's territorial authority elections and other local elections held nation-wide.
Voters elected the mayor of Palmerston North and 15 city councillors for the 2025–2028 term of the Palmerston North City Council. Postal voting and the single transferable vote system were used.
Incumbent mayor Grant Smith won re-election to a fourth 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.
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 results were published that afternoon 12 October 2025: 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 Palmerston North and 15 city councillors in 2 wards. They also elected several members of the Horizons Regional Council.
Campaign
List of candidates
Incumbents not seeking re-election Pat Handcock, councillor since 2019
Mayor CandidateAffiliation NotesOrphée MickaladIndependentCouncillor for the Te Hirawanui general ward since 2021. Also ran for re-election as a councillor.Michael MorrisNoneEnvironmental scientist and veganCaleb RiddickIndependentAlso ran for council in the general wardGrant SmithIndependentIncumbent mayor since 2015
Councillors Te Pūao Māori ward Te Pūao Māori ward returned two councillors to the city council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesRowland Prince FitzgeraldNoneIncumbent councillor since 2022Bonnie KuruNoneDebi Marshall-LobbTe Pāti MāoriIncumbent deputy mayor and councillor since 2022
Te Hirawanui general ward Te Hirawanui general ward returned thirteen councillors to the city council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesWajeha AkbaryanIndependentMark ArnottNoneIncumbent councillorBrent BarrettGreen Incumbent councillor since 2016Rachel BowenNoneIncumbent councillorMelanie ButlerIndependentPreviously ran for council in 2022.Zulfiqar ButtLabourFormer city councillor from 2019–2022Vaughan DennisonIndependentIncumbent councillor since 2001Kayne John DunlopNoneLew FindlayIndependentIncumbent councillorHayden FitzgeraldIndependentMark GunningIndependentLeonie HapetaNoneIncumbent councillorNelson HarperIndependentChief executive of Precycle NZJeremy Craig HoskinsNoneCameron JenkinsIndependentLorna JohnsonLabourIncumbent councillor since 2016Eric JuddIndependentJack KohNoneQuintin McGregorNoneBilly MeehanIndependentIncumbent councillorOrphée MickaladIndependentIncumbent councillor. Also ran for mayor.Tobias Wilson NashNoneKaren NaylorIndependentIncumbent councillorAdrian PhillipsNoneEldhose Poovathumveettil MathewIndependentDave PoppelwellIndependent Previously ran for council in 2013. New Conservatives Party parliamentary candidate in 2020.Atif RahimNoneFounder of hearing aid charity Hearing for Hope. Previously ran for council in 2022.Caleb RiddickIndependentAlso ran for mayorZakk RokkannoIndependentPreviously stood for council in 2022Dave SalisburyIndependentMichael Paul StrachanNoneJackie WheelerIndependent Organiser of Palmerston North Residents group.Glen WilliamsACT LocalBusiness ownerVerne WilsonIndependentWilliam George WoodNoneIncumbent councillorRichard WoolgarIndependentKaydee ZabelinGreen Incumbent councillor since 2022
Results
With the final results, the following candidates were declared elected:
Mayor Incumbent mayor Grant Smith won re-election to a fourth term.
Council Te Hirawanui general ward
Te Pūao Māori ward
Māori wards poll
See also 2025 Whanganui District Council election
Notes
References