Philip Coles is out but Liz Stolwyk might be in.
Midday
Liz Stolwyk – 2025
More shocks. Liz Stolwyk who looked to have been beaten by Stu Kneebone for the second Waipa King Country spot on Waikato Regional Council has now edged ahead following the release of preliminary results this morning.
Special votes are yet to be counted, with final results expected on Thursday.
The big walk up vote in Cambridge on Saturday morning would favour Stolwyk who has always been in the top two polling candidates for the Cambridge ward on Waipa District Council.
10am
Mike Pettit has extended his lead over Susan O’Regan in the Waipa mayoral race, preliminary election results show.
He is now ahead by 1200 votes – he received 7044 votes followed by O’Regan (5822) and Clare St Pierre (3748).
With special votes still to be counted, some ward results remain close.
Pip Kempthorne – 2025
For Cambridge, Jo Davies-Colley and Roger Gordon remain the clear front runners for two of the four seats on 3906 and 2658 votes respectively.
Aidhean Camson has jumped into third place on 2066. Camson was fifth in Saturday’s progress results on 1417.
Pip Kempthorne remains at the table on the preliminary results but has moved from third place to fourth with 1973 votes.
Dave Marinkovich is now in fifth place (1930), followed by Hope Spooner (1904) who has moved from fourth spot to sixth.
Two other sitting councillors, Philip Coles and Lou Brown, have not been returned.
Monday 13 October 9am
Aidhean Camson – 2025
There has been a delay in getting the preliminary results from Waipa District Council provider ElectionNZ.
The News understands the result for the Cambridge Ward is the major one affected. Sources are telling Good Local Media that Aidhean Camson has now been provisionally elected and that Hope Spooner has moved into fifth spot.
Sources also tell us Susan O’Regan has conceded to Mike Pettit.
8pm
Susan O’Regan has an impossible task with just under 1000 votes to make up in the mayoral race against Mike Pettit following provisional results released later this afternoon.
Election Day 2025 – Susan O’Regan and husband John Hayward. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Pettit is all but mayor with 5238 votes, O’Regan has 4291 and Clare St Pierre – now looking a favourite to be deputy mayor – with 2787.
The big surprise came in Pirongia and Kakepuku ward where Better Waipa’s Les Bennett joins St Pierre on the council while veteran Lou Brown is ousted from council in favour of Shane Walsh, Dean Taylor and long-serving Marcus Gower.
Dale-Maree Morgan has been elected as the last Waipa Maori ward representative following voters’ rejection of the Maori ward from 2028 onwards – 6854 wanting it gone vs 4888 who wanted it to stay. She and her husband Steve Hutt have also been elected onto the Ngāruawāhia Community Board.
In Cambridge, top polling candidate was former Community Board chair Jo Davies-Colley following by Roger Gordon and Pip Kempthorne. It is a close run thing between Hope Spooner and Aidhean Camson in that order for the fourth spot.
Clare St Pierre relaxes at home after her reelection as a councillor. Photo: Jesse Wood
The community boards will have a mix of old and new faces. In Te Awamutu Ange Holt, Jill Taylor and John Wood have returned and will be joined by the second highest polling candidate Liam Bullen. Kane Titchener was elected unopposed from Kakepuku.
Cambridge welcomes back Andrew Myers as the Maungatautari community board representative and he looks favourite for the chair’s spot with the new faces of Charlotte FitzPatrick Gerda Venter, Chris Minnee and Stewart Dromgool around the table.
The Waipa-King Country representatives on Waikato Regional Council are Cambridge farmers Garry Reymer and Stu Kneebone with the long-serving Liz Stolwyk now out of local politics for the first time in 12 years.
Aksel Bech swept home in the Waikato district mayoralty race defeating incumbent Jacqui Church while Mike Keir and Crystal Beavis have returned as Tamahere-Woodlands ward representatives.
Rodney Dow is the new mayor in Otorohanga while John Robertson returns in Waitomo.
2.55pm
Aksel Bech – 2025
Aksel Bech has been elected Waikato mayor.
2.50pm
Clare St Pierre – born in Te Rore, first class honours in Business Studies, NZ Institute of Directors chartered member, council since 2013.
Clare St Pierre has retained her council seat, heading the Pirongia and Kakepuku ward race on 1501 votes. Les Bennett (1240) has the second spot, 169 votes ahead of Naomi Pocock (1071).
The Cambridge Community Board will have a mostly fresh line-up, with Charlotte Fitzpatrick (2184), Gerda Venter (2059), Chris Minneé (1684) and Stewart Dromgool (1593) topping the progress results in the Cambridge Subdivision, and Andrew Myers (772) re-elected from the Maungatautari Subdivision.
In the Cambridge ward, Jo Davies-Colley has claimed the first of the four vacant seats with 2834 votes, with Roger Gordon second on 1991. Behind them, Pip Kempthorne is third on 1437, and Hope Spooner fourth on 1429. Aidhean Camson is in fifth spot and only 12 votes behind Spooner with 1417 votes.
In Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Ward, those set to take the three seats at the council table are Shane Walsh (1621), Dean Taylor (1604) and Marcus Gower (1185). Lou Brown is in fourth spot with 1051.
Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Community Board will be represented by Ange Holt (2192), Liam Bullen (2050), Jill Taylor (1710) and John Wood (1660). Kane Titchener was elected unopposed.
2.36pm
Mike Pettit flanked by former Waipa mayor Jim Mylcheest and Tauranga mayor Mahe Drysdale.
Mike with his proud mum and dad, Anne Whitsed and Mike Pettit snr. Photo: Viv Posselt
2.34pm
Roger Gordon and Mike Pettit. Photo: Viv Posselt
Mike and Nic Pettit being congratulated by Mahe and Juliette Drysdale. The girls used to row together. Photo: Viv Posselt
Celebrating with the family, from left, Anamieke Pettit, Phoebe Pettit, Natalia Pettit, Macie Pettit, Amy Pettit, Hugo Pettit, Mike and Nic Pettit with baby Rumi Pettit, their first grandchild. Photo: Viv Posselt
An emotional Mike Pettit announcing his win to supporters. Photo: Viv Posselt
2.27pm
There will be some new faces around the council table. In some cases, there are only a matter of votes between candidates.
At the progress stage:
Mayor
Mike Pettit has 5238 votes while incumbent Susan O’Regan has 4291 votes.
Cambridge Ward (4)
Jo Davies-Colley (2834), Roger Gordon (1991), Pip Kempthorne (1437), Hope Spooner (1429). Aidhean Campson (1417) is only 12 votes behind Spooner and Mike Cater and Barry Quayle are tied on 1388. Dave Marinkovich sits on 1379.
Pirongia and Kakepuku Ward (2)
Clare St Pierre leads the polling on 1501 with Les Bennett on 1240. Naomi Pocock has received 1071.
Te Awamutu and Kihikihi Ward (3)
Shane Walsh (1621), Dean Taylor (1604) and Marcus Gower (1185) top the polling with Lou Brown on (1051).
Maungatautari Ward (1)
Mike Montogomerie has been elected unopposed.
Waipā Māori Ward (1)
Dale-Maree Morgan has received (366) ahead of Yvonne Waho on 301.
2.10pm
Mike Pettit – born in Kawakawa, school principal from 2008, Cambridge Community Board from 2018 and council since 2019.
Mike Pettit is leading the mayoralty race with about 85 per cent of the votes counted. Pettit has 5238 votes while incumbent Susan O’Regan has 4291 votes. Voting turnout is 30.5 per cent excluding votes in transit to the processing centre and special votes.
The Waipa Maori ward will not be retained. A total of 6854 people voted to remove the ward, almost 2000 votes more than those who wanted it retained (4888).
2.05pm
Garry Reymer – 2025
Stuart Kneebone – 2025
Garry Reymer and Stu Kneebone have been elected (preliminary) as Waikato regional councillors in the Waipa-King Country constituency.
1.45pm
Sources are telling Cambridge News, Mike Pettit is leading in the race for Waipa mayoralty and that Dean Taylor has been elected to the council. More to come …..
1.15pm
John Robertson
Incumbent John Robertson has been confirmed as Waitomo District mayor, sources have told the King Country News.
12.40pm
Mum Jessie Wright brought along Violet, 9, and Joey, 7, for a hands-on lesson in democracy within minutes of the noon deadline. Photo: Viv Posselt
Taupō MP Louise Upston dropping her son’s voting papers in just before noon, complete with coffee stains. Photo: Viv Posselt
12.10pm
Kevin Howard was travelling around in his campervan and was racing the clock to get back to Te Awamutu to vote. He made it back just in time for a special vote with eight minutes to spare. Photo: Jesse Wood
Waipa local election day 2025. Archer Humphrys, 3 and Anna Humphrys get their last minute votes in with Bev Taylor from Waipa District Council. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
11.45am
Waipa District Council staff have been out in their droves to get people to vote in the Local Body Elections.
Chief executive Steph O’Sullivan and strategic director Katie Mayes were in the Cambridge CBD and Farmers’ Market while other staff were at council offices in Cambridge and Te Awamutu.
The polls closed at noon.
Waipa local election day 2025 – Waipa staffers, from left: Sarah Noble, Bev Taylor, Matt Gould encouraging people to vote. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Waipa local election day 2025. Waipa chief executive Steph O’Sullivan, right, with executive director Katie Mayes. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
Waipa local election day 2025. Executive director Katie Mayes, left, and chief executive Steph O’Sullivan in the main street watched by bystanders. Photo: Mary Anne Gill
