1986 Wellington City mayoral election

The 1986 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1986, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including twenty-one city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

1986 Wellington City mayoral election
11 October 1986
Turnout37,311 (41.77%)
 
Candidate Jim Belich Ian Lawrence
Party Labour Citizens'
Popular vote 18,873 16,519
Percentage 50.58 44.27
Mayor before election

Ian Lawrence

 Elected Mayor

Jim Belich

Background

The election saw one-term Mayor Ian Lawrence defeated by local advertising agent Jim Belich. 1986 also saw the Labour Party win their first ever majority of seats on the Council.[1]

In the last week of the campaign Belich launched a series of controversial advertisements on Lawrence and the council. One newspaper ad showed a toilet on the beach, linking to the clean water campaign to stop raw sewage discharge at Moa Point. Lawrence was angered by the attack which reneged on a pact between the two to fight fair. Belich professed that he did not intend for any personal offence.[2]

Electoral reforms were implemented at the 1986 municipal elections, the method of electing councillors at large which had been used since 1901 was replaced with a ward system of local electoral districts.[3]

Results

The following table gives the election results:

1986 Wellington mayoral election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jim Belich 18,873 50.58
Citizens' Ian Lawrence 16,519 44.27 +4.97
Independent Norm Thomas 1,344 3.60
McGillicuddy Serious Mark Servian 260 0.69
Private Enterprise Frank Moncur 251 0.67 +0.27
Informal votes 294 0.78 +0.16
Majority 2,354 6.30
Turnout 37,017 41.77 +4.18
Registered electors 89,328

Ward results
See also: 1986 Wellington local elections

Candidates were also elected from wards to the Wellington City Council.[4]

Party/ticketCouncillors
Labour11
Citizens'9
Independent1

Notes
  1. Franks & McAloon 2016, p. 225.
  2. MacDonald, Nikki (19 September 2015). "Sir James Belich - from ad-man to capital clean-up merchant". Stuff. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  3. "Local elections on ward basis". The Evening Post. 9 October 1984.
  4. Bly, Ross (24 October 1986). Declaration of Election Results (Report). Wellington City Council.

References
  • Franks, Peter; McAloon, Jim (2016). Labour: The New Zealand Labour Party 1916–2016. Wellington: Victoria University Press. ISBN 978-1-77656-074-5.
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