Mayor of Hastings, New Zealand

The mayor of Hastings is the elected head of local government in the Hastings District of New Zealand's North Island; one of 67 mayors in the country. The principal town of the district (and its namesake) is Hastings. The mayor presides over the Hastings District Council and is directly elected using the first-past-the-post method.

Mayor of Hastings
Te Koromatua o Heretaunga
Coat of arms of Hastings (Shield-only version)
Incumbent Sandra Hazlehurst since 24 November 2017
Style	His/Her Worship
Seat	Hastings
Term length	3 years, renewable
Formation	1886
First holder	Robert Wellwood
Deputy	Tania Kerr
Salary	$160,955[1]
Website	Official website

The first mayor was Robert Wellwood, and the current mayor is Sandra Hazlehurst, first elected in the 2017 by-election. She is the first woman to be elected to the office.

List of mayors

No.	Affiliation		Mayor	Portrait	Popular vote	Term
1		Independent	Robert Wellwood (1836–1927)		unopposed[2]	1886–1887
2		Independent	George Ellis (1837–1928)		Appointed after Wellwood resigned.[3]	1887–1888
					unopposed[4]	1888–1889
					unopposed[5]	1889–1890
3		Independent	William Fletcher Burnett (1848–1893)		131 (60.4%)[6]	1890–1891
(2)		Independent	George Ellis (1837–1928)		148 (61.7%)[7]	1891–1892
					unopposed[8]	1892–1893
					unopposed[9]	1893–1894
4		Independent	Cecil Fitzroy (1844–1917)		unopposed[10]	1894–?
					277 (76.1%)[11]	1896–?
					unopposed[12]	1898–1899
5		Independent	William Dennett (1845–1928)		538 (67.4%)[13]	1899–1901
					674 (58.4%)[14]	1901–1902
					unopposed[15]	1902–1903
					unopposed[16]	1903–1904
6		Independent	William Lane		410 (50.4%)[17]	1904–1905
(5)		Independent	William Dennett (1845–1928)		500 (44.7%)[18]	1905–1906
7		Independent	Thomas Thompson (1855–1938)		595 (51.9%)[19]	1906–1907
					659 (50.3%)[20]	1907–1909
8		Independent	John Miller (1869–1940)		736 (44.2%)[21]	1909–1911
9		Independent	James Garnett (1856–1913)		1,256 (57.8%)[22]	1911–1913
					unopposed[23]	1913[a]
10		Independent	William Hart (1863–1939)		Appointed after death of Garnett.[25]	1913–1915
					1,295 (55.2%)[26]	1915–1917
11		Independent	Horace Simson (1874–1954)		1,415 (50.0%)[27]	1917–1919
12		Independent	George Ebbett (1872–1954)		1,484 (52.2%)[28]	1919–1921
(10)		Independent	William Hart (1863–1939)		unopposed[29]	1921–1922[b]
13		Independent	George Maddison (1887–1949)		Elected by council[30]	1922–1923
					1,716 (81.9%)[31]	1923–1925
					1,995 (75.4%)[32]	1925–1927
					unopposed[33]	1927–1929
14		Independent	George Roach (1866–1934)		1,110 (36.1%)[34]	1929–1933[c]
(13)		Independent	George Maddison (1887–1949)		4,258 (74.9%)[35]	1933–1935
					unopposed[36]	1935–1938
					3,279 (58.8%)[37]	1938–1941
15		Citizens	Algernon Rainbow (1885–1969)		3,459 (70.0%)[38]	1941–1944
					3,780 (71.6%)[39]	1944–1947
16		Citizens	Robert Douglas Brown (1901–1963)		4,024 (67.3%)[40]	1947–1950
					unopposed[41]	1950–1953
17			Ed Bate (1901–1999)			1953–1956
					4,578[42]	1956–1959
18			Ron Giorgi (1907–1997)			1959–1962
						1962–1965
						1965–1968
						1968–1971
						1971–1974
19			Jim O'Connor (1936–2000)			1974–1977
						1977–1980
						1980–1983
						1983–1986
20		Independent	Jeremy Dwyer (1947–2005)		3,486 (46.5%)[43]	1986–1989
					19,677 (86.4%)[44]	1989–1992
					19,550 (84.0%)[45]	1992–1995
					unopposed[46]	1995–1998
					17,684 (78.6%)[47]	1998–2001
21		Independent	Lawrence Yule (b. 1963)		16,644 (72.4%)[48]	2001–2004
					unopposed[49]	2004–2007
					11,117 (53.6%)[50]	2007–2010
					11,665 (52.6%)[51]	2010–2013
					11,516 (49.7%)[52]	2013–2016
					11,533 (46.0%)[53]	2016–2017
22		Independent	Sandra Hazlehurst (b. 1959)		10,154 (46.0%)	2017–2019
					13,188 (54.0%)	2019–2022
					unopposed	2022–present

Elections

19th century

1886, 1887, 1888, and 1889

On 29 September 1886, Robert Wellwood was elected unopposed as the first mayor of Hastings.^[2] George Ellis was appointed on 21 December 1887 by the Borough Council after Wellwood resigned,^[3] and then went on to win unopposed in 1888^[4] and 1889.^[5] Ellis was declared re-elected on 19 December 1888^[4] and 18 December 1889,^[5] respectively.

1890

The 1890 mayoral election occurred on 26 November. William Fletcher Burnett defeated third-term incumbent mayor George Ellis.^[6]

1890 Hastings mayoral election^[6]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±pp
	None	William Fletcher Burnett	131	60.4
	None	George Ellis	84	38.7
Informal			2	0.9
Turnout			217

1891

The 1891 mayoral election occurred on 26 November. George Ellis defeated incumbent mayor William Fletcher Burnett.^[7]

1891 Hastings mayoral election^[7]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±pp
	None	George Ellis	148	61.7	23.0
	None	William Fletcher Burnett	92	38.3	22.1
Turnout			240

1892, 1893, and 1894

George Ellis was re-elected unopposed in 1892^[8] and 1893. He was declared re-elected on 20 November in 1893.^[9]

On 19 November 1894, Cecil Fitzroy was declared elected after facing no challengers for the mayoralty.^[10]

1896

The 1896 mayoral election occurred circa 26 November. Cecil Fitzroy was re-elected, defeating George Ellis.^[11]

1896 Hastings mayoral election^[11]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±pp
	None	Cecil Fitzroy	277	76.1
	None	George Ellis	82	22.5
Informal			5	1.4
Turnout			364

1898

Fitzroy was declared re-elected on 23 November after running unopposed.^[12]

1899

The 1899 mayoral election occurred on 29 November. William Dennett defeated incumbent Cecil Fitzroy.^[13]

1899 Hastings mayoral election^[13]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±pp
	None	William Dennett	538	67.4
	None	Cecil Fitzroy	260	32.6	43.5
Turnout			798

20th century

1901

The 1901 mayoral election occurred on 15 May. Incumbent mayor William Dennett again defeated former mayor Cecil Fitzroy.^[14]

1901 Hastings mayoral election^[14]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±pp
	None	William Dennett	674	58.4	9.0
	None	Cecil Fitzroy	480	41.6	9.0
Turnout			1,154

1902 and 1903

William Dennett was re-elected unopposed in 1902 and 1903.^[15][16]

1904

The 1904 mayoral election occurred on 27 April. William Lane defeated incumbent mayor William Dennett.^[17]

1904 Hastings mayoral election^[17]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±pp
	None	William Lane	410	50.4
	None	William Dennett	396	48.6	9.8
Informal			8	1.0
Turnout			814

1905

The 1905 mayoral election occurred on 25 April. Former mayor William Dennett was elected, defeating Thomas Thompson and Cecil Fitzroy.^[18]

1905 Hastings mayoral election^[18]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±pp
	None	William Dennett	500	44.7	3.9
	None	Thomas Thompson	354	31.6
	None	Cecil Fitzroy	265	23.7
Turnout			1,119

1906

The 1906 mayoral election occurred on 25 April. Thomas Thompson defeated incumbent mayor William Dennett.^[19]

1906 Hastings mayoral election^[19]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±pp
	None	Thomas Thompson	595	51.9	20.3
	None	William Dennett	535	46.6	1.9
Informal			17	1.5
Turnout			1,147

1907

The 1907 mayoral election occurred on 24 April. Thomas Thompson again defeated William Dennett.^[20]

1907 Hastings mayoral election^[20]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±pp
	None	Thomas Thompson	659	50.3	1.6
	None	William Dennett	378	28.8	17.8
	None	William Lane	237	18.1
Informal			37	2.8	1.3
Turnout			1,311

1953–1995

1998

The 1998 mayoral election occurred on 10 October. Jeremy Dwyer was elected to a fifth term.^[47]

1998 Hastings mayoral election^[47]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±
	None	Jeremy Dwyer	17,684	78.6
	None	Douglas John Green	4,805	21.4
Turnout			22,489

21st century

2001

The 2001 mayoral election occurred on 13 October. Lawrence Yule was elected.^[48]

2001 Hastings mayoral election^[48]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±
	None	Lawrence Yule	16,644	72.4
	None	Dinah Allison Williams	3,467	15.1
	None	Kevin Victor Watkins	2,846	12.4
Informal			17	0.0
Turnout			22,974

2004

Lawrence Yule was re-elected to his second term unopposed.^[49]

2007

The 2007 mayoral election occurred on 13 October. Lawrence Yule was elected to a third term.^[50]

2007 Hastings mayoral election^[50]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±
	None	Lawrence Yule	11,117	53.6	18.8
	None	Simon Nixon	7,147	34.5
	None	Peter Nee Harland	1,875	9.0
Informal			12	0.0	0.0
Blank			572	2.8
Turnout			20,723

2010

The 2010 mayoral election occurred on 9 October. Lawrence Yule was elected to a fourth term.^[51]

2010 Hastings mayoral election^[51]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±
	None	Lawrence Yule	11,665	52.6	1.0
	None	Simon Nixon	6,976	31.5	3.0
	Independent	Des Ratima	2,276	10.3
	None	Peter Nee Harland	799	3.6	5.4
Informal			40	0.2	0.2
Blank			407	1.8	1.0
Turnout			22,163

2013

The 2013 mayoral election occurred on 12 October. Lawrence Yule was elected to a fifth term.^[52]

2013 Hastings mayoral election^[52]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±
	None	Lawrence Yule	11,516	49.7	2.9
	None	Wayne Lindsay Bradshaw	6,119	26.4
	None	Simon Nixon	4,859	21.0	10.5
Informal			38	0.2	0.0
Blank			640	2.8	1.0
Turnout			23,172

2016

The 2016 mayoral election occurred on 8 October. Lawrence Yule won a sixth term in the role.^[54]

2016 Hastings mayoral election^[53]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±
	None	Lawrence Yule	11,533	46.0	2.7
	None	Guy Wellwood	7,988	31.8
	None	Adrienne Pierce	5,053	20.1
Informal			43	0.2	0.0
Blank			465	1.9	0.9
Turnout			25,082

2017

A by-election was held on 24 November after Lawrence Yule resigned to run for Parliament as the MP for Tukituki.^[55] Acting mayor and third-term councillor Sandra Hazlehurst was elected to the position, becoming the district's first female mayor.^[56]

2017 Hastings mayoral by-election^[57]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±
	None	Sandra Hazlehurst	10,154	46.0
	None	Bayden Barber	5,252	23.8
	None	Simon Nixon	2,977	13.48
	None	Stuart Perry	2,662	12.06
	None	Waitawhara Tupaea	661	3.0
	None	Allister David Tosh	325	1.8
Informal			12	0.0	0.2
Blank			55	0.2	1.7
Turnout			22,078

2019

The 2019 mayoral election occurred on 12 October. Incumbent mayor Sandra Hazlehurst faced off against first-term district councillor Damon Harvey.^[58]

2019 Hastings mayoral election^[58]

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±
	Independent	Sandra Hazlehurst	13,188	54.0	8.0
	Change Up Hastings	Damon Harvey	10,120	41.4
Informal			10	0.0	0.0
Blank			1,105	4.5	4.3
Turnout			24,423
Registered			55,080

2022

Sandra Hazlehurst was elected unopposed.^[59]

Notes

1. Died May 1913^[24]
2. Resigned in 1922 due to poor health.^[30]
3. The 1931 elections were not held in Napier and Hastings due to the 1931 Hawke's Bay earthquake.