The mayor of Horowhenua officiates over the Horowhenua District Council.
Bernie Wanden has been mayor since 2019. Before being elected as mayor, he had served as a Horowhenua councillor.
Since its inception in 1989, Horowhenua District has had five mayors:
The deputy mayor is appointed by the mayor at the first meeting of the council following the triennial elections. Whilst the deputy mayor exercises the same roles as other elected members, they must also perform the responsibilities and duties of the mayor if the mayor is absent, incapacitated, or the office of the mayor is vacant. The deputy mayor can be removed from office if decided upon by the council.
In October 2016, Ross Campbell was appointed as deputy mayor by newly-elected mayor Michael Feyen. However, in December 2016, the remaining nine councillors voted against this decision, with longstanding councillor Wayne Bishop elected to replace Campbell. After this vote, Feyen attempted to reappoint Campbell as deputy mayor, seeking a judicial review to remove Bishop from office and reinstate Campbell. In 2017, it was decided that Campbell had no legal standing and that the council would continue on with business as usual, with Bishop as deputy mayor.