1968 Lower Hutt mayoral election

1968 Lower Hutt mayoral election
← 1965 12 October 1968 1971 →
Turnout14,063 (43.01%)
 
Candidate Percy Dowse Dave Hadley
Party Labour Citizens'
Popular vote 7,241 6,629
Percentage 51.48 47.13
Mayor before election

Percy Dowse

 Elected mayor

Percy Dowse

The 1968 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Background

The incumbent Mayor, Percy Dowse, sought re-election for a seventh term. He was opposed by Citizens' Association councillor Dave Hadley. Initially John Kennedy-Good was favoured as the Citizens' mayoral candidate, but as he had in 1965, he refused to challenge Dowse. Additionally he cited his intention to stand for parliament as the National Party candidate for the Hutt electorate at the upcoming 1969 general election as being incompatible with the mayoralty.[1] Dowse, who was returned unopposed in the previous election, had a large reduction in his majority. The Labour Party lost its majority on the council (three sitting councillors lost their seats) with a large swing to Citizens' candidates.[2]

Mayoral results

1968 Lower Hutt mayoral election[3][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Percy Dowse 7,241 51.48
Citizens' Dave Hadley 6,629 47.13
Informal votes 193 1.37
Majority 612 4.35
Turnout 14,063 43.01

Councillor results

1968 Lower Hutt City Council election[5][4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens' Dave Hadley 8,260 58.73 +8.69
Citizens' John Kennedy-Good 8,195 58.27 +1.43
Labour Chen Werry 7,876 56.00 −5.35
Citizens' Don Lee 7,540 53.61 +4.61
Citizens' Ted Holdaway 7,347 52.24
Citizens' Stan Frost 7,104 50.51
Labour Sam Chesney 6,988 49.69 −8.46
Labour Kitty Mildenhall 6,849 48.70 −5.39
Labour Jessie Donald 6,717 47.76 −8.28
Citizens' Cyril Phelps 6,654 47.31 +18.03
Citizens' Ted Gibbs 6,583 46.81 +1.64
Labour Wally Bugden 6,517 46.34 −12.00
Citizens' Max Borra 6,442 45.80
Citizens' Jim Ross 6,406 45.55
Citizens' Harold Meachen 6,210 44.15
Labour David Carrad 5,967 42.43 −8.75
Citizens' Joseph David Peters 5,927 42.14
Labour William Harvey 5,891 41.89 −8.58
Labour Joan Mary Pearce 5,889 41.87 −6.16
Labour Bert Sutherland 5,880 41.81 −7.88
Citizens' Peter James Stevens 5,851 41.60
Citizens' William Davidson Smith 5,677 40.36
Citizens' Andrew George Gathergood 5,491 39.04
Labour Ronald Edward Alexander Annan 5,482 38.98
Labour Edward William Harnett 5,142 36.56
Labour William Mouat McLaren 5,120 36.40 −11.26
Citizens' Peter Edwin Grenside 5,080 36.12
Labour William John Jarvis 5,064 36.00 −8.28
Labour John Alan Nelsson Ivory 5,028 35.75
Labour George John Ravelich 4,831 34.35
Independent Unah Lovell Archibald 2,604 18.51
Independent Nick Ursin 2,348 16.69

Notes

  1. ^ "Cr. Hadley Named For Mayoralty". Hutt News. 23 April 1968.
  2. ^ "New Mayors in Both Upper Hutt and Petone". The Evening Post. 14 October 1968. p. 12.
  3. ^ "City of Lower Hutt - Election of Mayor". The Evening Post. 19 October 1968. p. 3.
  4. ^ a b "Final Results in Hutt Elections". The Evening Post. 19 October 1968. p. 28.
  5. ^ "City of Lower Hutt - Declaration of Result of Poll". The Evening Post. 19 October 1968. p. 3.

References

  • McGill, David (1991). Lower Hutt – The First Garden City. Petone, New Zealand: Lower Hutt City Council. ISBN 1-86956-003-5.