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1995 Wellington City mayoral election

← 1992 14 October 1995 1998 →
Turnout	59,948 (53.10%)
Candidate Mark Blumsky Elizabeth Tennet Party Independent Labour Popular vote 26,372 11,673 Percentage 43.99 19.47
Mayor before election Fran Wilde Elected mayor Mark Blumsky

The 1995 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1995, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Background

Sitting Mayor Fran Wilde was not renominated by the Labour Party with local members opining that she had drifted too far from Labour policies during her term as mayor. Instead members nominated Eastern ward councillor Hazel Armstrong, though she declined to stand for mayor or the city council. Wilde responded by stating she would stand as an independent if she decided to stand for a second term. She made clear she still supported the Labour Party and praised its leader Helen Clark and her leadership of the party. Clark said Wilde would have her support if she decided to run as an independent candidate.

Ultimately Wilde retired from the role after just one term. When standing in 1992 she intended to run for a second term and stated the decision not to run again was the hardest decision she ever had to make. She cited a wish to gain more privacy and the only way to do so would be to leave the mayoralty. Her decision prompted a record thirteen candidates to run for the position. The Labour Party eventually chose Elizabeth Tennet, the Member of Parliament for Island Bay, as its candidate for the election. It was the last time the Labour Party was to field a mayoral candidate until 2016. Wilde did not support Tennet's candidacy thinking she was not right for the role and she was only standing for mayor because the Island Bay seat was being abolished at the next general election. Tennet and another MP, Graham Kelly, described Wilde as a turncoat for her criticisms.

The former chairman of the now defunct Wellington Harbour Board Nigel Gould was selected as the Citizens' Association candidate, beating out shoe retailer Mark Blumsky and ratepayer advocate Jack Ruben for the nomination. Blumsky was not dissuaded and immediately declared his candidacy as an independent.

The election saw Mark Blumsky win office as Wellington's Mayor. He won a much larger majority than expected, with media anticipating a neck-and-neck result between himself and Tennet. The 1995 elections also saw the decline of the long established Citizens' Association electoral ticket. Gould finished in a disappointing fourth place for mayor and only four Citizens' ticket candidates won seats in the council, a record low. The ticket did not contest another mayoral election and would disband soon after.

Mayoralty results

The following table gives the election results:

Ward results

Candidates were also elected from wards to the Wellington City Council.

References

1. Zatorski, Lidia (13 February 1995). "Wilde not listed on Labour ticket". The Evening Post. p. 1.
2. Zatorski, Lidia (14 February 1995). "Wilde cut ties with Labour". The Evening Post. p. 1, 3.
3. Schouten, Hank (22 February 1995). "Clark gives support to independent Fran Wilde". The Evening Post. p. 2.
4. Murphy, Lyn (25 October 1995). "No apologies, says Wilde". The Evening Post. p. 7.
5. Brent, Edwards; Schouten, Hank (22 February 1995). "Tennet did not measure up — Wilde". The Evening Post. p. 2.
6. Currie, Shayne (22 May 1995). "Gould stands for Mayor". The Evening Post. p. 1.
7. Moran, Paul (16 October 1995). "Surprise at size of Blumsky's win". The Evening Post. p. 13.
8. "Independent era arrives in Wellington". The Evening Post. 16 October 1995. p. 13.
9. ^ "Declaration of Result of Election - City of Wellington". The Evening Post. 21 October 1995. p. 30.

v t e Mayors of Wellington
Mayors	elected by councillors George Hunter William Guyton Joe Dransfield Charles Borlase elected at large William Sefton Moorhouse William Hutchison Joe Dransfield George Allen William Hutchison George Fisher Arthur Winton Brown Sam Brown John Duthie Charles Johnston Arthur Winton Brown Francis Bell Alfred Brandon Charles Luke George Fisher Francis Bell John Blair John Aitken Thomas William Hislop Alfred Newman Thomas Wilford David McLaren John Luke Robert Wright Charles Norwood George Troup Thomas Hislop Will Appleton Rob Macalister Frank Kitts Michael Fowler Ian Lawrence Jim Belich Fran Wilde Mark Blumsky Kerry Prendergast Celia Wade-Brown Justin Lester Andy Foster Tory Whanau
Mayoral elections	Annual term 1842 1874 1875 1876† 1877† 1878 1879‡ 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888† 1889† 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898† 1899 1901 1902† 1903† 1904 1905 1906† 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911† 1912 1913 1914 Biennial term 1915 1917† 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1933† 1935 Triennial term 1938 1941 1944 1947 1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016 2019 2022
Local elections	1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016 2019 2022 by-elections
† Elected unopposed ‡ By-election

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