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1998 Wellington City mayoral election

← 1995 10 October 1998 2001 →
Turnout	57,512 (48.46%)
Candidate Mark Blumsky Stephanie Cook Party Independent Alliance Popular vote 33,828 12,918 Percentage 58.81 22.46
Mayor before election Mark Blumsky Elected mayor Mark Blumsky

The 1998 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1998, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including 18 councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Background

The election saw incumbent Mayor Mark Blumsky re-elected with a greatly increased majority. However Blumsky did not gain a majority of support on the council with only seven of the "Wellington Alive" ticket elected. Wellington Alive were selection of right-leaning council candidates that were given public endorsement by Blumsky following the dissolution of the decades old Citizens' Association several years earlier.

Councillor Jack Ruben initially declared to stand, but withdrew to support Stephanie Cook and avoid further splitting the left-wing vote. Bryan Pepperell, another left leaning candidate stood as well. Cook and Pepperell were re-elected to the council, though Ruben lost his seat.

The 1998 election is the last mayoral election in Wellington's history to date where the successful candidate polled more than half the popular vote. It was also the first time since the 1933 election that the Labour Party did not field a mayoral candidate.

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 (12 October 1998). "Blumsky romps in, but voters clip council wings". The Evening Post. p. 6.
2. "Cook seeks mayor's job, Ruben ends bid". The Evening Post. 28 August 1998. p. 3.
3. ^ "Wellington City Council – Declaration of Result of Election". The Evening Post. 17 October 1998. p. 22.

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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