Horowhenua Mayor Bernie Wanden joined Kāpiti Coast Mayor Janet Holborow in going against the trend to retain the mayoral chains for another three years.
The preliminary results had Mayor Wanden on 8,723, ahead of Justin Tamihana on 2,773. This six thousand vote majority contrasted with the 2022 election result where Mr Wanden finished on 5,840, ahead of Sam Jennings on 3,233, and Victoria Kaye-Simmons on 2537.
Going into the election for a shot at a third term Mayor Wanden said, “It has been an honour and a privilege to be the Mayor of Horowhenua for the last six years and I am seeking your support to continue serving this community for another term.
“There are a number of issues that lie ahead both locally and nationally for the Local Government sector which I believe require stable and experienced leadership to ensure that Horowhenua continues to deliver the range of services that the community expect at a high level.
“Despite the challenges we have faced over the past six years, we have focused on delivering the basics well and I am confident that the direction of travel for the future of this district is well mapped out and will help Horowhenua to continue to grow and prosper.”
The result is a clear message of public support for Mr Wanden who came into the election with strong governance experience. This will be called on in the next three years as Horowhenua continues to experience rapid growth and change.
For full election results (Preliminary) see: https://www.electionz.com/LGE2025Results/ELT42HO25_Result.pdf