Mayor of Hastings, New Zealand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Hastings
Coat of arms of Hastings (Shield-only version)
Incumbent Sandra Hazlehurst since 24 November 2017
Style	His/Her Worship
Seat	Hastings
Term length	3 years, renewable
Formation	1886
First holder	Robert Wellwood
Deputy	Tania Kerr
Salary	$160,955
Website	Official website: https://www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/our-council/mayor-and-councillors

The Mayor of Hastings is the main elected leader for the Hastings District in New Zealand. This district is located on the North Island. The mayor is one of 67 mayors across the country. The biggest town in the district, which gives it its name, is Hastings.

The mayor leads the Hastings District Council. People vote directly for the mayor using a system called "first-past-the-post." This means the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they don't get more than half of all votes.

The very first mayor of Hastings was Robert Wellwood. The current mayor is Sandra Hazlehurst. She was first elected in a special election in 2017. Sandra Hazlehurst made history as the first woman to hold this important job.

Who Are the Mayors of Hastings?

This table shows the people who have been mayors of Hastings over the years.

No.	Affiliation		Mayor	Portrait	Popular vote	Term
1		Independent	Robert Wellwood (1836–1927)		unopposed	1886–1887
2		Independent	George Ellis (1837–1928)		Appointed after Wellwood resigned.	1887–1888
					unopposed	1888–1889
					unopposed	1889–1890
3		Independent	William Fletcher Burnett (1848–1893)		131 (60.4%)	1890–1891
(2)		Independent	George Ellis (1837–1928)		148 (61.7%)	1891–1892
					unopposed	1892–1893
					unopposed	1893–1894
4		Independent	Cecil Fitzroy (1844–1917)		unopposed	1894–?
					277 (76.1%)	1896–?
					unopposed	1898–1899
5		Independent	William Dennett (1845–1928)		538 (67.4%)	1899–1901
					674 (58.4%)	1901–1902
					unopposed	1902–1903
					unopposed	1903–1904
6		Independent	William Lane		410 (50.4%)	1904–1905
(5)		Independent	William Dennett (1845–1928)		500 (44.7%)	1905–1906
7		Independent	Thomas Thompson (1855–1938)		595 (51.9%)	1906–1907
					659 (50.3%)	1907–1909
8		Independent	John Miller (1869–1940)		736 (44.2%)	1909–1911
9		Independent	James Garnett (1856–1913)		1,256 (57.8%)	1911–1913
					unopposed	1913
10		Independent	William Hart (1863–1939)		Appointed after death of Garnett.	1913–1915
					1,295 (55.2%)	1915–1917
11		Independent	Horace Simson (1874–1954)		1,415 (50.0%)	1917–1919
12		Independent	George Ebbett (1872–1954)		1,484 (52.2%)	1919–1921
(10)		Independent	William Hart (1863–1939)		unopposed	1921–1922
13		Independent	George Maddison (1887–1949)		Elected by council	1922–1923
					1,716 (81.9%)	1923–1925
					1,995 (75.4%)	1925–1927
					unopposed	1927–1929
14		Independent	George Roach (1866–1934)		1,110 (36.1%)	1929–1933
(13)		Independent	George Maddison (1887–1949)		4,258 (74.9%)	1933–1935
					unopposed	1935–1938
					3,279 (58.8%)	1938–1941
15		Citizens	Algernon Rainbow (1885–1969)		3,459 (70.0%)	1941–1944
					3,780 (71.6%)	1944–1947
16		Citizens	Robert Douglas Brown (1901–1963)		4,024 (67.3%)	1947–1950
					unopposed	1950–1953
17			Ed Bate (1901–1999)			1953–1956
					4,578	1956–1959
18			Ron Giorgi (1907–1997)			1959–1962
						1962–1965
						1965–1968
						1968–1971
						1971–1974
19			Jim O'Connor (1936–2000)			1974–1977
						1977–1980
						1980–1983
						1983–1986
20		Independent	Jeremy Dwyer (1947–2005)		3,486 (46.5%)	1986–1989
					19,677 (86.4%)	1989–1992
					19,550 (84.0%)	1992–1995
					unopposed	1995–1998
					17,684 (78.6%)	1998–2001
21		Independent	Lawrence Yule (b. 1963)		16,644 (72.4%)	2001–2004
					unopposed	2004–2007
					11,117 (53.6%)	2007–2010
					11,665 (52.6%)	2010–2013
					11,516 (49.7%)	2013–2016
					11,533 (46.0%)	2016–2017
22		Independent	Sandra Hazlehurst (b. 1959)		10,154 (46.0%)	2017–2019
					13,188 (54.0%)	2019–2022
					unopposed	2022–present

How Mayors Are Chosen: Elections

Mayors in Hastings are chosen through elections. People vote for who they want to lead the district.

Recent Elections: How Hastings Chose Its Mayors

Here's a look at some of the more recent elections for the Mayor of Hastings.

2017 By-election: A New Mayor Is Chosen

A special election was held on November 24, 2017. This happened because the previous mayor, Lawrence Yule, stepped down to run for a seat in the New Zealand Parliament. Sandra Hazlehurst, who was already a council member, was elected. She became the first woman to be the Mayor of Hastings.

2017 Hastings mayoral by-election

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±
	None	Sandra Hazlehurst	10,154	46.0
	None	Bayden Barber	5,252	23.8
	None	Simon Nixon	2,977	13.48
	None	Stuart Perry	2,662	12.06
	None	Waitawhara Tupaea	661	3.0
	None	Allister David Tosh	325	1.8
Informal			12	0.0	0.2
Blank			55	0.2	1.7
Turnout			22,078

2019 Election: Sandra Hazlehurst Wins Again

On October 12, 2019, Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst ran for re-election. She competed against Damon Harvey, who was a district councilor. Sandra Hazlehurst won and continued her role as mayor.

2019 Hastings mayoral election

Affiliation		Candidate	Popular Vote	%	±
	Independent	Sandra Hazlehurst	13,188	54.0	8.0
	Change Up Hastings	Damon Harvey	10,120	41.4
Informal			10	0.0	0.0
Blank			1,105	4.5	4.3
Turnout			24,423
Registered			55,080

2022 Election: Mayor Hazlehurst Continues Her Work

In the 2022 election, Sandra Hazlehurst was the only candidate. This meant she was re-elected without anyone running against her. She continues to serve as the Mayor of Hastings.