Wellington City mayoral by-election, 1912

Wellington City mayoral by-election, 1912

25 April 1912

Turnout 10,333   Candidate David McLaren Augustus Biss Party United Labour Independent Popular vote 4,235 2,634 Percentage 40.98 25.49   Candidate John Smith Robert Wright Party Citizens League Independent Popular vote 1,907 1,557 Percentage 18.45 15.06

Mayor before election Thomas Wilford Elected Mayor David McLaren

The Wellington City mayoral by-election, 1912 was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1911, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions. Thomas Wilford, the incumbent Mayor, resigned due to ill health instigating the need for an election. David McLaren was elected to office as the new Mayor of Wellington, beating three other contenders and becoming the city's first Labour Mayor. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Background

Thomas Wilford had been Mayor of Wellington since his election in 1910, which had also been a by-election.^[1] An ailing Wilford stood for re-election in 1911 and was unopposed for office. However, his illness worsened and he almost died after complications during an operation for appendicitis from which his health was to never truly recover. Wilford was forced to travel to England for medical treatment.^[2] For several months councillor John Smith had acted as Mayor on his behalf before Wilford formally resigned. Smith decided to stand for the position proper himself in the ensuing by-election. After serving for 11 years as a Wellington City Councillor and 12 years as a member of the Hospital Board, David McLaren stood for the mayoralty.^[3]

Results

The following table gives the election results:

As a result of his victory, McLaren became the first Labour Mayor of a major city in New Zealand.^[5]

Council by-election

Wellington City Council by-election, 1912

27 May 1912

Turnout 8,440   Candidate Edward Tregear William Thompson Party Socialist Independent Popular vote 4,487 3,694 Percentage 53.16 43.76

Councillor before election David McLaren Elected Councillor Edward Tregear

Due to McLaren's win at the polls for mayor his seat on the city council was declared vacant. A by-election was held for it a month later where his colleague in the labour movement, Edward Tregear, was successful in winning.^[6]

Councillor results

The following table gives the election results:

Notes

References

• Gustafson, Barry (1980). Labour's path to political independence: The Origins and Establishment of the New Zealand Labour Party, 1900–19. Auckland, New Zealand: Auckland University Press. ISBN 0-19-647986-X. 

Mayors of Wellington City
Mayors	elected by councillors George Hunter William Guyton Joseph Dransfield Charles Borlase William Sefton Moorhouse elected at large William Hutchison Joseph Dransfield George Allen William Hutchison George Fisher Arthur Winton Brown Samuel Brown John Duthie Charles Johnston Arthur Winton Brown Francis Bell Alfred Brandon Charles Luke George Fisher Francis Bell John Blair John Aitken Thomas William Hislop Alfred Newman Thomas Wilford David McLaren John Luke Robert Wright Charles Norwood George Troup Thomas Hislop Will Appleton Rob Macalister Frank Kitts Michael Fowler Ian Lawrence James Belich Fran Wilde Mark Blumsky Kerry Prendergast Celia Wade-Brown Justin Lester
Mayoral elections	Annual term 1875 1876† 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 Biennial term 1899 1901 1903† 1905 1907 1909 1910‡ 1911† 1912‡ 1913 1915 1917† 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1933† Triennial term 1935 1938 1941 1944 1947 1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016
† Elected unopposed · ‡ By-election