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2025 Hamilton City Council election

The 2025 Hamilton City Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in Hamilton, New Zealand, as part of that year's territorial authority elections and other local elections held nation-wide.

Voters elected the mayor of Hamilton and 14 city councillors for the 2025–2028 term of the Hamilton City Council. Postal voting and the single transferable vote system were used.

A finalised list of candidate names was released by the City Council on 4 August identifying 52 candidates, including 12 candidates for mayor. Incumbent mayor Paula Southgate did not run for re-election.

Councillor Tim Macindoe won the mayoralty, with fellow councillor Sarah Thomson coming in second place.

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/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 Hamilton and 14 councillors from 3 wards. They also elected several members of the Waikato Regional Council.

Campaign

Better Hamilton was a group of candidates who jointly campaigned during the election campaign.

List of candidates

Incumbents not seeking re-election

  • Paula Southgate, mayor since 2019
  • Moko Tauariki, councillor for the Kirikiriroa Maaori ward since 2022
  • Ewan Wilson, councillor in the West ward since 2019
  • Kesh Naidoo-Rauf, councillor in the East ward since 2019

Mayor

Incumbent mayor Paula Southgate did not run for re-election. Incumbent councillor and former National MP Tim Macindoe contested the election, as well as incumbent councillors Sarah Thomson and Maria Huata. Rachel Karalus also ran.

Councillors

Kirikiriroa Maaori ward

The Kirikiriroa Maaori ward returned two councillors to the city council.

West ward

The West ward returned six councillors to the city council.

East ward

The East ward returned six councillors to the city council.

Results

Mayor

Councillor Tim Macindoe won the mayoral election, with Sarah Thomson coming second.

Council

West general ward

East general ward

Kirikiriroa Maaori ward

Maaori Ward Poll

See also

Notes

References