Meet your candidates – videos and profiles now live

Published on 01 September 2025

The race for Council is officially on, and now’s your chance to get to know the people who want to represent you.

All 42 candidates were invited to step in front of the camera for a fast-paced, 90-second video. Each had the same challenge: share their name, why they’re standing, one thing they think Council is doing well, one thing they’d like to see changed, and why you should give them your vote, all in under a minute and a half.
The result is a line-up of short, punchy videos that give you a sense of who’s who, straight from the candidates themselves. You can also check out their written profile statements on our website.

Deputy Electoral Officer Hannah White says this is the time to get curious.

“Watch the videos, read the profiles, and connect with candidates directly to ask the questions that matter to you. Show up to local meetings or debates. They’re putting themselves forward to represent you, so make sure you know who deserves your vote.”

There’s plenty of opportunity to meet candidates in person, with a number of community-organised meetings happening across September.

One of the key events will be the Mayoral Candidate Debate on Wednesday, 17 September at the Globe Theatre. From 6.30–7.30pm you can mix and mingle with councillor candidates, followed by the main mayoral debate kicking off at 7.30pm, which will also be livestreamed on our Facebook page.

Voting papers will start arriving in mailboxes from 9 September. As well as voting for your mayor and councillors, you’ll also be voting in a referendum on whether to keep or remove our Māori Ward. Once you’ve filled out your papers, post them back, or drop them in an orange voting ballot box, before midday on 11 October.

Your vote is your voice, so make it count.

Check out the candidates now