The 2025 Hauraki District Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in the Hauraki District of New Zealand, as part of that year's territorial authority elections and other local elections held nation-wide.
Voters elected the mayor of Hauraki and 13 district councillors for the 2025–2028 term of the Hauraki District Council. Postal voting and the first-past-the-post voting system were used.
Incumbent mayor Toby Adams won re-election to a third term.
In the prior term, the council voted to introduce a Māori ward for the term following this election; in a referendum on its future held at this election (as part of a nation-wide series of referendums) voters elected to remove 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/preliminary results were published 16–19 October 2025: Final results were declared.
Background
Positions up for election Voters in the district elected 13 councillors across 4 wards, and also the mayor of Hauraki. They also elected members of the Waikato Regional Council.
Campaign
List of candidates Incumbents not seeking re-election Phillip Buckthought, incumbent councillor for the Plains ward Carole Daley, incumbent councillor for the Paeroa ward Sarah Holmes, incumbent councillor for the Waihī ward Josh Martyn, incumbent councillor for the Waihī ward Bhavesh Ranchhod, incumbent councillor for the Waihī ward
Mayor The incumbent Mayor of Hauraki, Toby Adams, who was first elected in 2019, sought re-election in 2025.
CandidatePhotoAffiliation NotesToby Adams NoneIncumbent mayor since 2019Levi BurtonIndependentAlso ran to be a councillor in the Waihi general wardRoman JacksonNoneAlso ran to be a councillor in the Waihi general ward
Councillors Plains ward The Plains ward returned four councillors to the district council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesCynthia BatesIndependentRay BroadNoneIncumbent councillorStephen CrooymansNoneIncumbent councillorNeil GrayNoneIncumbent councillorAndrew PickfordACT LocalFormer international airline captain
Paeroa ward The Paeroa ward returned three councillors to the district council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesGrant AitkenNoneFormer Paeroa College PrincipalMichelle MagnusACT LocalCaregiver and business executivePaul MilnerNoneIncumbent councillorJo TilsleyNoneIncumbent councillorRino Lee WilkinsonNoneIncumbent councillor
Waihi ward The Waihi ward returned four councillors to the district council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesLevi BurtonNoneAlso ran for mayorSara HowellNonePreviously ran for council in 2022Roman JacksonNoneAlso ran for mayorAustin RattrayIndependentIncumbent councillorAmanda May RyanNonePreviously ran for council in 2022Stuie ThompsonIndependentAnne Marie SpicerIndependentIncumbent councillor
Te Pakikau o te Ika Māori ward Te Pakikau o te Ika Māori ward returned two councillors to the district council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesRereahu CollierIndependentDesmond TylerNone
Results
Mayor
Council Paeroa general ward
Plains general ward
Waihī general ward
Te Pakikau o te Ika Māori ward
Māori wards poll
See also 2025 Hamilton City Council election
Notes
References