1953 Dunedin mayoral election

The 1953 Dunedin mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1953, elections were held for the Mayor of Dunedin plus other local government positions including twelve city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

1953 Dunedin mayoral election
31 October 1953
Turnout30,891 (64.20%)
 
Candidate Len Wright Phil Connolly
Party Citizens' Labour
Popular vote 15,420 13,365
Percentage 49.91 43.26
Mayor before election

Len Wright

 Elected Mayor

Len Wright

Campaign

A major talking point in the lead up to the election was the potential of a clash with the 1953 Royal Tour.[1] There were proposals to postpone local elections until early 1954 over fears of reduced turnout due to a conflicted schedule. The proposals were considered by the Minister of Internal Affairs William Bodkin, who ultimately decided against it.[2]

Len Wright, the incumbent Mayor, was re-elected for a second term. He defeated a spirited challenge from Phil Connolly the sitting Labour MP for Dunedin Central, who despite losing the mayoralty was elected to the Otago Harbour Board, where he became deputy-chairman.[3] Initially the Labour Party won a 8-4 majority on the city council, however after a recount Citizens' candidate Stuart Sidey displaced Labour's James Dalziel as the lowest polling successful candidate amending the party split to 7-5.[4]

Mayoral results
1953 Dunedin mayoral election[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Citizens' Len Wright 15,420 49.91 -1.72
Labour Phil Connolly 13,365 43.26
Independent Charlie Hayward 2,106 6.81
Majority 2,055 6.65 +2.86
Turnout 30,891 64.20 +17.38

Council results
1953 Dunedin local election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Fred Jones 18,745 60.68 +6.92
Labour Ethel McMillan 18,121 58.66 +7.34
Labour Michael Connelly 17,490 56.61 +2.08
Labour Hubert Brown 16,550 53.57 +0.39
Labour Alister Abernethy 15,953 51.64 +1.65
Citizens' Robert Forsyth-Barr 15,006 48.57 -3.02
Labour Jack Stead 14,874 48.14 +1.89
Citizens' Norman Douglas Anderson 14,171 45.87 -3.47
Citizens' William Taverner 14,048 45.47 -4.43
Labour Bill Fraser 13,789 44.63 +2.45
Citizens' Robert William Botting 13,438 43.50
Citizens' Stuart Sidey 13,111 42.44 +6.79
Labour James Dalziel 13,100 42.40
Labour Doug Sutherland 12,984 42.03
Citizens' Robert Stuart Glendenning 12,902 41.76
Labour Noel George Tohmar 12,794 41.41
Labour William Johnstone Penfold 12,774 41.35
Citizens' James Charles Scoular 12,615 40.83
Citizens' Kevin John Marlow 12,511 40.50
Citizens' Charles Jerram 12,363 40.02
Labour Frederick Rudkin 12,003 38.85
Independent William Stewart Armitage 10,857 35.14 -13.41
Citizens' Albert Perry Greenfield 10,626 34.39
Independent Charlie Hayward 9,911 32.08 -20.11
Citizens' Eric Hugh Levido 9,813 31.76
Citizens' Augustus Benson Pope 7,814 25.29
Communist Edgar Wilson Hunter 1,811 5.86 +1.94

Notes
  1. "Move to Postpone Next Municipal Elections". The Evening Post. 18 October 1952.
  2. "Local Elections Date Fixed". The Evening Post. 28 January 1953.
  3. Jamieson 2009, p. 167-71.
  4. "A Slender Majority for Labour". Otago Daily Times. No. 28, 420. 10 November 1953. p. 1.
  5. Jamieson 2009, p. 171.

References
  • Jamieson, Rosemary (2009), In Command: Minesweeper Captain and Labour Parliamentarian (1st ed.), Wellington, [N.Z.]: Steele Roberts
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