Ben Bell re-elected as Gore mayor

Saturday, 11 October 2025

Ben Bell has been elected as mayor of the Gore district for a second term.

Ben Bell has been re-elected as the Gore mayor for a second term by a resounding majority over former councillor Nicky Davis.

Ben Bell received 2917 votes, and Nicky Davis received 1270.

“I’m ecstatic,’’ Bell said.

“Three years ago people voted for change and now they’re voting for consistency so I’m really pleased about that.

“It’s nice to be ahead by more than a thousand rather than actually being behind like I was this time three years ago.’’

Bell won the mayoralty from Tracy Hicks in 2022 by just eight votes becoming New Zealand’s youngest ever mayor at the age of 23. It was not all plain sailing - his first 18 months were surrounded in controversy after a very public spat with now-former council chief executive Stephen Parry.

Bell said on Saturday said he had not given much thought to who would be his deputy mayor.

Gore mayoral candidate Nicky Davis gained 1,270 votes in the provisional results.

In 2022 Bell chose councillor Stewart MacDonell as his deputy but just days later seven councillors signed a requisition calling for his removal from the position.

“I’m not sure he’d want it again after everything he went through last time,’’ Bell said.

“I’ll sit down and talk to each councillor individually about their work commitments and who wants the job.’’

Nicky Davis, who served as a district-wide councillor from 2016 but did not stand for re-election in 2022, was the sole candidate to run against Bell.

She said she would not have campaigned any differently.

“It was a really good experience and I got really good feedback.

Torrone Smith has been voted onto the Gore District Council, polling highest in the at large ward. (File photo)

“I probably wouldn’t change anything and I wish Ben Bell all the best.’’

Four new faces will be sworn in as councillors on October 28.

Mel Cupit has been voted onto the Gore District Council, polling highest in the Gore ward.

They are Torrone Smith (at large), Mel Cupit, Donna Bruce (Gore ward), and Nicky Coats (Mataura ward).

For the at large seats (three vacancies), Torrone Smith received 2577 votes, Neville Phillips 2420, Joe Stringer 2260, Steven (Boko) Dixon 1638, and Gary McIntyre 1492. There were 11 informal votes and 118 blank voting papers.

Donna Bruce, of the Gore rates Reform group, has been elected to the Gore District Council.

In the Gore ward (five vacancies), Mel Cupit (Independent) received 1894 votes, Paul McPhail (Independent) 1839, Andy Fraser (Independent) 1716, Robert McKenzie 1532, and Donna Bruce 1175. Jess Hudson received 899 votes. There was one informal vote and 41 blank voting papers.

John Gardyne and Stewart MacDonell were elected unopposed in the Rural Ward and Nicky Coats was elected unopposed in the Mataura Ward.

There were only four nominations for the Mataura Community Board’s five seats, which means a by-election will be required.

For the Mataura Licencing Trust Ward 2 – Gore (three vacancies), Jimmy Allison received 1348 votes, Paul Henry 1270, and Craig Marshall 1095. Kylie Aitken received 1016 votes, Jim Geddes 939, and Casey Eason 830.

Elected unopposed were Horace McAuley (Ward 1 – Tapanui), Brendon (Moe) Murray (Ward 3 – Mataura), Vince Aynsley (Ward 4 – Rural), Jeannine Cunningham (Ward 5 – Edendale), Marc Robertson (Ward 6 – Wyndham), and Todd Lyders (Ward 7 – Tokanui).

Voter turnout for the Gore District was again strong, with 51.9% of the 9049 enrolled voters having their say.

There council said in a press release there was a late flurry of voting this morning, with 439 votes coming in from voting bins in Gore and Mataura, and at the Council’s drive-thru.

These votes are not included in the figures released today.