Wellington City mayoral election, 1956

Wellington City mayoral election, 1956

17 November 1956
Turnout	38,105
Candidate Frank Kitts Ernest Toop Robert Macalister Party Labour Citizens' Independent Popular vote 14,674 11,920 10,783 Percentage 38.50 31.28 28.29
Mayor before election Robert Macalister Elected Mayor Frank Kitts

The Wellington City mayoral election, 1956 was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1956, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

Background

The 1956 mayoral election was conducted amidst a selection controversy by the right-leaning Citizens' Association. Under the impression that incumbent mayor Robert Macalister was not intending to seek a third term as Mayor, Ernest Toop applied to gain nomination as the official Citizens' candidacy. As Toop was the only applicant he was successful. However, Macalister had intended to run for Mayor again and assumed he, as incumbent, would gain automatic nomination. Undeterred, Macalister ran for Mayor again as an Independent which split the Citizens' vote enabling Labour's Frank Kitts to win the mayoralty.^[1] Kitts became Wellington's first Labour Mayor in 46 years following David McLaren's defeat in 1913.^[2]

Mayoralty results

Councillor results

Toop (right) congratulating Kitts (left) on his victory.

Table footnotes:

Notes

References

• Betts, G.M. (1970). Betts on Wellington: A City and its Politics. Wellington: A. H. & A. W. Reed Ltd. ISBN 0 589 00469 7. 

Mayors of Wellington City
Mayors	elected by councillors George Hunter William Guyton Joseph Dransfield Charles Borlase William Sefton Moorhouse elected at large William Hutchison Joseph Dransfield George Allen William Hutchison George Fisher Arthur Winton Brown Samuel Brown John Duthie Charles Johnston Arthur Winton Brown Francis Bell Alfred Brandon Charles Luke George Fisher Francis Bell John Blair John Aitken Thomas William Hislop Alfred Newman Thomas Wilford David McLaren John Luke Robert Wright Charles Norwood George Troup Thomas Hislop Will Appleton Rob Macalister Frank Kitts Michael Fowler Ian Lawrence Jim Belich Fran Wilde Mark Blumsky Kerry Prendergast Celia Wade-Brown Justin Lester
Mayoral elections	Annual term 1875 1876† 1877† 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889† 1890† 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898† 1899 1900 1901 1902† 1903† 1904 1905 1906† 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911† 1912 1913 1914 Biennial term 1915 1917† 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1933† 1935 Triennial term 1938 1941 1944 1947 1950 1953 1956 1959 1962 1965 1968 1971 1974 1977 1980 1983 1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016
Local elections	1986 1989 1992 1995 1998 2001 2004 2007 2010 2013 2016
† Elected unopposed ‡ By-election