The 2025 Napier City Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in Napier, New Zealand, as part of that year's territorial authority elections and other local elections held nation-wide.
Voters elected the mayor of Napier and 11 city councillors for the 2025âÂÂ2028 term of the Napier City Council. Postal voting and the first-past-the-post voting system were used.
Councillor Richard McGrath won the mayoralty, defeating incumbent mayor Kirsten Wise.
In the prior term, the council had voted to introduce a MÃÂori ward for 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 MÃÂori ward for future elections.
Voters elected the mayor of Napier and 12 councillors from 4 wards. They also elected 4 members of the Hawke's Bay Regional Council.
A group called For Wards Hawke's Bay formed to support the pro-ward position at the referendums in the wider Hawke's Bay region. The group held a meeting on 23 July in Clive chaired by regional council chair Rex Graham, with various speakers including local Presbyterian minister Jill McDonald, Hastings MÃÂori ward councillor Heather Te Au-Skipworth, HB Multicultural Society president Rizwaana Latiff and Hayley Whittaker from the Public Service Association.
Hawke's Bay Today asked the mayoral candidates whether they supported the group; mayor Wise said she had been working closely with them, Richard McGrath said he had no opinion on the group, and Nigel Simpson said he was not familiar with the group and that he was against MÃÂori wards.
Te Whanga MÃÂori ward returned two councillors to the city council.
Ahuriri general ward returned three councillors to the city council.
Napier Central general ward returned three councillors to the city council.
Taradale general ward returned three councillors to the city council.
Councillor Richard McGrath won the mayoralty, defeating incumbent mayor Kirsten Wise.