Two candidates to contest Gore District mayoralty

The Gore District Council will have elections for the mayoralty and two of its four wards in October.

When nominations closed at noon today,16 people had put their hand up for the Gore District Council, compared to 19 three years ago.

First-term mayor Ben Bell faces a contest for the mayoralty with former district councillor Nicky Davis also seeking the top job.

There will be an election in the Gore ward where six candidates are vying for five seats, and in the at-large ward, where there are five candidates contesting the three seats.

Encumbent rural councillors John Gardyne and Steward MacDonell have been returned to office unopposed, while former Mataura Community Board chair Nicky Coats takes the Mataura ward unopposed.

There were only four nominations for the Mataura Community Board’s five seats, which means a by-election will be required. There were 10 nominations for the board in the 2022 local body election.

The Mataura Licensing Trust’s three seats in the Gore ward (ward 2) are the only board positions being contested, with six candidates.

The full list of candidates is:

Gore District Council

Mayoralty:

• Ben Bell
• Nicky Davis

At-large ward (3 vacancies):

• Steven (Boko) Dixon
• Gary McIntyre
• Neville Phillips
• Torrone Smith
• Joe Stringer

Rural ward (elected unopposed):

• John Gardyne
• Stewart MacDonell

Mataura ward (elected unopposed)

• Nicky Coats

Gore ward (5 vacancies)

• Donna Bruce
• Mel Cupit (Independent)
• Andy Fraser (Independent)
• Jess Hudson
• Robert (Caveman) McKenzie
• Paul McPhail (Independent)

Mataura Community Board (5 vacancies)

• Steven (Boko) Dixon
• Michelle Hamilton
• Tanya Rowling
• Laurel Turnbull

Mataura Licensing Trust

Ward 1 (elected unopposed)

• Horace McAuley

Ward 2 (3 vacancies)

• Kylie Aitken
• Jimmy Allison
• Casey Eason
• Jim Geddes
• Paul Henry
• Craig Marshall

Ward 3 (elected unopposed)

• Brendon (Moe) Murray

Ward 4 (elected unopposed)

• Vince Aynsley

Ward 5 (elected unopposed)

• Jeannine Cunningham

Ward 6 (elected unopposed)

• Marc Robertson

Ward 7 (elected unopposed)

• Todd Lyders

Gore & Districts Health Incorporated

Gore ward (elected unopposed)

• Kylie Fisken
• Tracy Hicks
• Nigel Moore
• Maeva Smith

Clutha ward (elected unopposed)

• Cecil Crawford

Southland ward (1 vacancy)

• No nominations

Voting opens on Tuesday 9 September. Details for all candidates are available on the Electionz website.