Wayne Brown storms home for a second term as Auckland Mayor

Saturday, 11 October 2025

A re-elected Wayne Brown says Aucklanders have endorsed his direction and given him a mandate to “finish the job” he began three years ago. The mayor promises to push ahead with transport and infrastructure improvements.

Sitting Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has been returned with a stonking 54 per cent majority, calling it a “heartening” result that gave him a mandate to finish what he started in his first term as mayor.

With 80-90% of the vote counted, Brown led on 146,642 votes.

Brown was returned with an even bigger majority than 2022, and said he felt humbled and relieved to be re-elected with such overwhelming support.

He spoke to media at so-called Brownie’s pool, on Auckland’s viaduct harbour, which he described as one of his proudest achievements.

'It's quite humbling to have such a strong endorsement of what we've been doing. I look forward to three years of making our great city even better, and it's fitting we're down here at Brownies pool, I am very proud of this pool. The cheapest thing that we've done in three years.

'They've [Aucklanders] seen what I do and it won't be much different. Just finish the job that I started. I am looking forward to getting my hands on AT. It's taken me three years to get that done but I know exactly what I'm going to do there. So you can look forward to things getting better on our public transport and our roads.'

Asked if it was a mandate to take on Wellington, he said: 'I am hoping so. I have been taking on Wellington for three years. Someone said, what is your biggest opponent? It's Wellington.'

'They need to let us have the ability to make our own decisions.

'We are the only international city in New Zealand … I'm determined to lift Auckland's ability to lift the economy.'

Brown said he was “relieved” the campaign was over, saying it had been like “six weeks sitting in a dentist chair”.

Deputy mayor Desley Simpson joined the press conference in traditional costume having attended Diwali celebrations - she will return to the council table having run unopposed.

Wayne Brown has won a second term as Auckland's mayor.

Brown may have also managed to bring a new ally to the Town Hall debating chamber, with Victoria Short leading against incumbent Wayne Walker, 12,862 to 11,851.

In the North Shore ward, Chris Darby’s former seat appears to have been taken by long-time local politician John Gillon, who has a 3000-vote lead on Brown-backed Danielle Grant. Incumbent Richard Hills also returns with a commanding lead.

In Whau ward, Labour’s Sarah Paterson-Hamlin seems to have beaten Craig Lord.

Veteran Mike Lee has beaten challengers Patrick Reynolds and Genevieve Sage to hold Waitematā and Gulf.

Alf Filipaina and Lotu Fuli have retained their seats in Manukau, fending off Fix Auckland challengers, Luke Mealamu and Vicky Hau.

In Albert-Eden, incumbents Christine Fletcher and Julie Fairey return, while Andy Baker has held Franklin.

Maurice Williamson is joined in Howick by former local board member and newspaper owner Bo Burns.

Manurewa-Papakura incumbent Daniel Newman has successfully brought along running mate Matt Winiata to fill the seat vacated by Angela Dalton. It’s been a near clean sweep for his ticket, having also taken seven out of eight local board seats.

Josephine Bartley has held Maungakiekie-Tāmaki. Incumbents Shane Henderson and Ken Turner both return in Waitākere.

Wayne Brown, meanwhile, said this would certainly be his last term as Mayor.

“If you don't put a horizon of things, you never get them done. So I'm going to get them done this in this three year term. Don't worry about that,” he said.

“The most important thing me now is to take full advantage of taking control of Auckland Transport,” he said.

He said that council’s finances were looking better than the Government’s, but he would continue to make it “harder and harder for them [council] to actually enter into dumb stuff”.

And on the Government, he said he had a new “list of things that we expect them to fix this year … and they'd better do them”.

Asked about the low voter turn out for the local council elections, Brown said it was likely because “rate payers generally vote, and renters tend not to”.

He acknowledged that even as mayor he had not met every local board member in Auckland in his three year term - there are 149 of them.