Final results cement Alex Walker's place as Mayor for Central Hawke’s Bay

Final results for the 2019 Local Body Elections released today cement Alex Walker’s return for a second term as Mayor of Central Hawke’s Bay for the next triennium.

Walker is joined by five returning councillors Tim Chote, Gerard Minehan, Tim Aitken, Brent Muggeridge, and Kelly Annand, and three new faces Exham Wicham, Jerry Greer and Kate Taylor.

Alex Walker returned a 4,650 vote margin, having returned 4,984 votes in total. Her rival Darcie Meremere Tū Ahiahi Scowen returned 334 votes in total.

The final results include special votes and votes that were in transit to the processing centre on Elections Day.

Mayor Alex Walker said she felt humbled and honoured to have the support and belief of the community behind her to serve another term. “It’s been an absolute privilege to serve Central Hawke's Bay for the last three years and I cannot wait to continue my work for another three. We have achieved a lot of what I would call the "building blocks" and now our vision for a thriving community is absolutely at the heart of everything I and your council do. I want to congratulate our newly elected councillors and I look forward to forming the fresh new team.”

Central Hawke’s Bay is represented by nine elected members which includes a Mayor, and eight Councillors representing two wards, the Ruataniwha Ward and the Aramoana / Ruahine Ward, each with four seats.

In August, four councillors took uncontested positions to represent CHB’s Ruataniwha Ward, leaving just the four Aramoana / Ruahine Ward seats and mayoralty up for grabs. Tim Chote, Kelly Annand and Gerard Minehan, all current sitting councillors, retained their positions uncontested, joined by a new face Exham Wichman, born and bred in Otane and now living in Waipukurau.

Six candidates competed for the four available seats in the Aramoana / Ruahine Ward - Darcie Meremere Tū Ahiahi Scowen, Kate Taylor, Tim Aitken, Jerry Greer, Hirani Maaka and Brent Muggeridge. Final results in today show the highest polling candidate was Kate Taylor with 2,118 votes, followed by Tim Aitken with 1,843 votes, Jerry Greer with 1,819 votes, and Brent Muggeridge with 1,686.

Monique Davidson, Chief Executive of Central Hawke’s Bay District Council (CHBDC) says: “I want to send a huge thank you to every single one of our candidates who stood to represent their communities in this year’s elections. It takes courage, commitment and conviction to put yourself out there and take to the polls.

“Congratulations to our returning Mayor Alex Walker and our other elected members. I look forward to working closely with all of you over the next triennium to deliver a proud and prosperous district for our communities.”

Full results can be viewed on our website at www.chbdc.govt.nz/elections2019

1 November 2019

Back to Archive