Campbell comfortably leading Invercargill mayoralty

Saturday, 11 October 2025

Tom and Jessie Campbell - twin causes for celebration, with a strong mayoralty lead and a wedding anniversary.

Tom Campbell is leading the race for the Invercargill mayoralty with 6064 votes so far, followed by Alex Crackett who has received 4167 votes.

Invercargill City Council deputy electoral officer Michael Morris said with 2256 ordinary votes and 354 special votes yet to be counted, it was not yet possible to determine the winner of the race for the top job.

There are 1897 votes between the two.

Ian Pottinger has received 1939 votes, Ria Bond - 1496, Tom Morton - 570, Andrew Clark - 248, Stevey Chernishov - 169, and Gordon McCrone - 45.

Morris could confirm sitting councillors Steve Broad and Alex Crackett had been re-elected, having received 9589 and 8350 votes respectively.

Campbell said although the race was not quite finished, he was feeling really good as on current figures - “It does look as though it’s likely to be me’’.

“I really am delighted by the way that the whole election has been conducted, and pleased to see other candidates got some hefty votes too,” he said.

He “absolutely’’ intended to follow through his pledge to offer Crackett a chairmanship,

“She and I have been exchanging texts,’’ he said. ”We have a really good relationship, Alex and I, and I’m certainly looking forward to working with her next term.’’

Invercargill mayoral candidate and returning councillor Alex Crackett with her daughter, Charlotte Wills.

Although the election had dominated the day, Campbell had set aside the evening meal for another special event - he and wife Jessie are celebrating their wedding anniversary.

Crackett said it was a close race “and I’m incredibly proud of the campaign we ran collectively. It was really positive and people-focused’’.

She said Campbell was right that they had a great working relationship, and made clear she had her hopes set on more than a chairmanship.

“I think it’s really clear that both Tom and I have earned a really strong mandates from different parts of our community,’’ she said.

“I think appointing a deputy that represents bringing together a really broad a base of support would send a really powerful message of unity.’’

As things stand no city councillors have failed to gain re-election and Marcus Lush, Ian Reeves and Lisa Tou-McNaughton will join the ranks, although the margins are so fine that at least three others have a chance of leapfrogging over Reeves and Tou-McNaughton, and potentially one or two sitting councillors, in the final tally.

Right now the council table positions, following Broad and Crackett, are that Grant Dermody recieved 7142 votes, Marcus Lush - 7018, Trish Boyle - 6406, Darren Ludlow - 6299, Ria Bond - 6188, Ian Pottinger - 6038, Allan Arnold - 5241, Barry Stewart - 4953, Ian Reeves - 4933, and Lisa Tou McNaughton - 4797.

Following behind is Andrea De Vries on 4785 votes, Lynley McKerrow - 4737, David Meades - 4568, Karl Herman - 4088, Terry King - 4052, Chris Dawson - 3834, Jay Coote - 3331, Pania Coote - 3283, Tony Van Der Lem - 3238, Tom Morton- 2740, Carl Heenan - 2560, Dan O’Connell - 2001, Amanda Laurie - 1805, Noel Peterson - 1070, and Carol (CJ) Jasperse - 860.

For the Bluff Community Board (5 vacancies), Jo Eruera leads with 491 votes, Justin Sutherland - 484, Ray Fife - 389, Haylee Simeon - 328, Frazer Murdoch - 225, followed by Glen Goodall -186, and Carol (CJ) Jasperse - 83.

Invercargill Licensing Trust (6 vacancies) Paddy O’Brien has receive 8801 votes, Suzanne Prentice - 8058, Angela Newell - 7000, Graham Hawkes - 6544, Sheree Carey - 6380, Nick Jeffrey - 4879, followed by Kane Johnson - 4233, and Aaron Douglas - 2097.

Progress results include all votes cast up until late on Friday, October 10, however this does not include the final votes cast Friday or any of the votes returned to the ballot box Saturday.

Progress results also do not include Special Votes.

Preliminary results were expected on Sunday, and would include all votes except for special votes, Morris said.

It had been pleasing to see the community engaged in local body elections, he said.

“Our community is a passionate and vocal one, and it was great to see that translate into a turnout of voters who were motivated to help guide their city through the next three years.'