2025 Gisborne District Council election

2025 Gisborne District Council election
11 October 2025
Turnout16,377 (48.07%)
Mayoral election
 
Candidate Rehette Stoltz Colin Alder Jono Samson
Affiliation Independent Independent Independent
Popular vote 8,147 5,984 1,851
Percentage 49.75% 36.54% 11.30%
Mayor before election

Rehette Stoltz
Independent

 Elected mayor

Rehette Stoltz
Independent

Council election
14 seats on the Gisborne District Council
8 seats needed for a majority
Party Seats +/–
Independent 13 0
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.

The 2025 Gisborne District Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in the Gisborne District of New Zealand as part of that year's nation-wide local elections. Voters elected the mayor of Gisborne and 13 district councillors for the 2025–2028 term of the Gisborne District Council. Postal voting and the single transferable voting system were used.[1]

Incumbent mayor Rehette Stoltz was re-elected 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 retain the Māori ward.

Key dates

  • 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates opens.
  • 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates close at 12 noon.
  • 9–22 September 2025: Voting documents delivered to enrolled voters and voting opens.
  • 11 October 2025: Voting closes at 12 noon. Progress/preliminary results published
  • 13–17 October 2025: Official count and final results announced.
  • 17 October 2025: Final results declared by public notice.[2]

Background

Positions up for election

Voters in the district elected the mayor of Gisborne and 13 district councillors in 2 wards.

Campaign

List of candidates

Incumbents not seeking re-election

  • Ani Pahuru-Huriwai, councillor for the Māori ward since 2022[3]
  • Tony Robinson, councillor for the general ward, resigned to take up the position of key account manager for the council[3][4]
  • Josh Wharehinga, deputy mayor and councillor since 2014[5]

Mayor

Candidate[2] Affiliation[a] Notes
Colin Alder None Incumbent councillor.[7][8] Also ran for re-election as a councillor for the Tairāwhiti general ward.
Jono Samson None Former contestant on Lego Masters NZ. Also ran to be a councillor for the Tairāwhiti general ward.[9]
Rehette Stoltz None Incumbent mayor since 2019[3][8]

Councillors

Tairāwhiti Māori ward

Tairāwhiti Māori ward returned five councillors to the district council.[10]

Candidate[2] Affiliation[a] Notes
Jackie Akuhata-Brown None
Raawiri Gilgen None
Chris Haenga None
Anne Huriwai None
Mateawa Keelan None
Elizabeth Kerekere None Former Green Party MP (2020–2023)[9][11]
Rawinia Parata None Incumbent councillor since 2022[12][8]
Aubrey Ria None Incumbent councillor since 2022[12][8]
Kat Taylor None
Rhonda Tibble None Incumbent councillor since 2022[12][8]
Nick Tupara None Incumbent councillor since 2022[12][8]

Tairāwhiti General ward

The Tairāwhiti General ward returned eight councillors to the district council.[10]

Candidate[2] Affiliation[a] Notes
Colin Adler None Incumbent councillor.[7][8] Also ran for mayor.
Ian Allan None
Alexandra Boros Independent Artist and interior designer[13]
Darin Brown None Previously ran for mayor and for the council in the Māori ward in 2022[14]
Grant Brown None
Marcel Campbell Independent
Andy Cranston None Incumbent councillor for over 20 years[3][8]
Jodie Curtis None
Larry Foster None Incumbent councillor since 2016[3][8]
Samuel Gibson None Author and conservationist known as "Sam the Trap Man"[9]
Debbie Gregory Independent Incumbent councillor since 2019[3][8]
Gazza McKenzie None
Jeremy Muir None Former editor of the Gisborne Herald.[9]
Ian George Procter Independent Former public servant. Previously ran for council in the Māori ward in 2022.[15][16]
Jono Samson None
Rob Telfer None Incumbent councillor[8]
Teddy Thompson Independent Incumbent councillor[8]
Jordan Walker None Green Party endorsed[17]
Blake Neil Webb None

Results

Overall turnout for the election was 48.1% (50.3% in the general ward, and 43.8% in the Māori ward), with 16,377 voting papers returned.[18] This was up from a turnout of 43.4% in the 2022 election,[19] but down from a turnout of 50.1% in the 2019 election.[20] Gisborne's turnout was 8.7% higher than the national average for this years elections.[20]

Mayoral

2025 Gisborne mayoral election[21]
Party Candidate Primary votes % ±% Iteration
# Votes
Independent Rehette Stoltz† 8,147 49.75 1st 8,147
Independent Colin Alder 5,984 36.54 1st 5,984
Independent Jono Samson 1,851 11.30 1st 1,851
Quota 7,991 48.79
Informal votes 46 0.28
Blank votes 349 2.13
Turnout 16,377 48.07
Registered electors 34,067
Independent hold on 1st iteration
† incumbent

Tairāwhiti general ward

Tairāwhiti general ward[21][22][17]
Party Candidate Primary votes % ±% Iteration
# Votes
Independent Colin Alder† 2,682 23.87 1st 2,682
Independent Rob Telfer† 931 8.28 3rd 1,207
Independent Samuel Gibson 1,008 8.97 10th 1,230
Independent Jeremy Muir 943 8.39 10th 1,219
Independent Alexandra Boros 679 6.04 17th 1,211
Independent Debbie Gregory† 636 5.66 19th 1,167
Independent Larry Foster† 645 5.74 21st 1,175
Independent Teddy Thompson† 516 4.59 23rd 1,159
Independent Andy Cranston† 512 4.56 23rd 1,022
Independent Green Jordan Walker 382 3.40 18th 675
Independent Ian Allan 357 3.18 16th 550
Independent Grant Brown 284 2.53 14th 492
Independent Jono Samson 265 2.36 11th 386
Independent Marchel Campbell 254 2.26 9th 342
Independent Ian Procter 273 2.43 8th 326
Independent Darin Brown 235 2.09 6th 287
Independent Jodie Curtis 139 1.24 4th 160
Independent Blake Webb 109 0.97 3rd 127
Independent Gazza McKenzie 43 0.38 2nd 51
Quota 1,210 10.77
Informal votes 248 2.21
Blank votes 97 3.11
Turnout 11,238 50.31
Registered electors 22,336
Independent hold on 1st iteration
Independent hold on 3rd iteration
Independent gain from Independent on 10th iteration
Independent gain from Independent on 10th iteration
Independent gain from Independent on 17th iteration
Independent hold on 19th iteration
Independent hold on 21st iteration
Independent hold on 23rd iteration
† incumbent

Tairāwhiti Māori ward

Tairāwhiti Māori ward[21][22]
Party Candidate Primary votes % ±% Iteration
# Votes
Independent Aubrey Ria† 1,163 22.63 1st 1,163
Independent Rhonda Tibble† 769 14.96 3rd 844
Independent Rawinia Parata† 655 12.75 7th 836
Independent Nick Tupara† 583 11.34 12th 872
Independent Anne Huriwai 466 9.07 16th 803
Independent Chris Haenga 402 7.82 16th 722
Independent Elizabeth Kerekere 365 7.10 11th 515
Independent Raawiri Gilgen 182 3.54 7th 217
Independent Jackie Akuhata-Brown 159 3.09 6th 198
Independent Mateawa Keelan 150 2.92 4th 159
Independent Kat Taylor 135 2.63 2nd 146
Quota 828 16.31
Informal votes 81 1.58
Blank votes 29 0.56
Turnout 5,139 95.80
Registered electors 11,731
Independent hold on 1st iteration
Independent hold on 3rd iteration
Independent hold on 7th iteration
Independent hold on 12th iteration
Independent gain from Independent on 16th iteration
† incumbent

Māori ward referendum

Māori ward referendum[21]
Option
Votes %
check Keep 9,904 63.45
X mark Remove 5,704 36.55
Valid votes cast 15,608 95.30
Informal votes 6 0.04
Blank votes 763 4.66
Total votes cast 16,377 100
Māori ward referendum results (excluding invalid votes)
Keep
9,904 (63.5%)		 Remove
5,704 (36.5%)
▲
50%

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 A candidate may leave their affiliation blank, run as an independent, or run with an affiliation to an organisation, local body ticket or political party. Gisborne District Council does not allow election slogans to be used for the affiliation.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Council, Gisborne District (26 November 2025). "Election results". Gisborne District Council. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "2025 local elections". www.gdc.govt.nz. Gisborne District Council. 1 August 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Campbell, Zita (5 March 2025). "Gisborne Election: Mayor to run again, three councillors to step down". Stuff. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  4. ↑ Campbell, Zita (17 April 2025). "From one council role to another: 'Now I get to do the action stuff'". Gisborne Herald. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  5. ↑ Campbell, Zita (2 January 2025). "Gisborne deputy mayor Josh Wharehinga won't seek re-election after 12 years in local government". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  6. ↑ "Puka whakamārama kaitono rohē pōti | Candidate information handbook 2025" (PDF). www.gdc.govt.nz. Gisborne District Council. p. 13. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  7. 1 2 Wrigley, Wynsley (14 July 2025). "Gisborne councillor Colin Alder considers another run for mayor". Gisborne Herald. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "Councillor contact details". www.gdc.govt.nz. Gisborne District Council. 11 April 2025. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Campbell, Zita (5 August 2025). "Lego master and ex-Green MP among candidates for Gisborne council". The Gisborne Herald. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
  10. 1 2 "Determination" (PDF). www.lgc.govt.nz. Local Government Commission. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  11. ↑ Campbell, Zita. "Former Green MP Elizabeth Kerekere runs for Māori Ward". 1News. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Campbell, Zita. "Four out of five Māori Ward Gisborne Councillors to seek re-election". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  13. ↑ Campbell, Zita (1 August 2025). "'People over politics': Candidate's vision for Gisborne's future". Gisborne Herald. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 August 2025.
  14. ↑ "Gisborne mayoral candidate stands by social media image of him wearing swastika". The New Zealand Herald. 27 August 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  15. ↑ Campbell, Zita (25 July 2025). "'P for positive': Former public servant running for Gisborne councillor role". Gisborne Herald. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
  16. ↑ "Ian George Procter – Candidate for Gisborne District Council – 2022". Policy.nz. Retrieved 21 July 2025.
  17. 1 2 "Jordan Walker". www.greens.org.nz. Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand. Retrieved 17 August 2025.
  18. ↑ "Election results". www.gdc.govt.nz. Gisborne District Council. 18 October 2025. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  19. ↑ "Final election results: Meet your new Council". www.gdc.govt.nz. Gisborne District Council. 18 October 2025. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  20. 1 2 Campbell, Zita (20 October 2025). "Gisborne voter turnout above national average as final results confirmed". Gisborne Herald. The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
  21. 1 2 3 4 "LGE2025 - Final" (PDF). Gisborne District Council. 18 October 2025.
  22. 1 2 "2025 Gisborne District Council iteration reports". Internet Archive. Gisborne District Council. 20 March 2026.
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