1953 Lower Hutt mayoral election

The 1953 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including fifteen city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

1953 Lower Hutt mayoral election
31 October 1953
Turnout14,251 (52.56%)
 
Candidate Percy Dowse Eric Rothwell
Party Labour Citizens'
Popular vote 8,670 5,488
Percentage 60.84 38.51
Mayor before election

Percy Dowse

 Elected Mayor

Percy Dowse

Background

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]

The incumbent Mayor, Percy Dowse, sought re-election for a second term. Dowse was opposed by Citizens' Association candidate and former deputy mayor Eric Rothwell who had been a councillor from 1944 to 1950. The election marked the first under an increased membership of fifteen councillors rather than twelve. The election resulted in another landslide victory for the Labour ticket, winning the mayoralty and every council seat.[3]

Mayoral results
1953 Lower Hutt mayoral election[4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Percy Dowse 8,670 60.84 +4.83
Citizens' Eric Rothwell 5,488 38.51
Informal votes 93 0.65 -0.44
Majority 3,182 22.32 +9.22
Turnout 14,251 52.56 +8.50

Councillor results
1953 Lower Hutt City Council election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Harry Horlor 8,810 61.82 +3.77
Labour Sam Chesney 8,321 58.38 +4.18
Labour Bella Logie 8,254 57.91 +0.80
Labour Trevor Young 8,234 57.77 +2.71
Labour James McDonald 8,189 57.46 +3.22
Labour Ronald George Maxwell 7,882 55.30 1.10
Labour John Davey 7,696 54.00 +3.68
Labour Chen Werry 7,655 53.71 +4.69
Labour Alexander Murray 7,644 53.63 +5.29
Labour Jessie Donald 7,619 53.46
Labour Bert Sutherland 7,487 52.53
Labour Frank Whitley 7,478 52.47 +4.51
Labour Walter Gordon Bugden 7,445 52.24
Labour Ernest Knights 7,397 51.90 +4.09
Labour Clarence Fennell 7,111 49.89
Citizens' Stan Dudding 6,170 43.29
Citizens' Will Giltrap 6,142 43.09 +5.78
Citizens' William Gregory 6,001 42.10
Citizens' Claude A. Browning 5,718 40.12
Citizens' Alfred Watson Tresseder 5,677 39.83
Citizens' Alwin Atkinson 5,410 37.96
Citizens' John Kennedy-Good 5,382 37.76
Citizens' Stanley Edwin Harding 5,339 37.46
Citizens' Trevor Joseph Duncan 5,184 36.37
Citizens' Colin Douglas Gilchrist 5,181 36.35
Citizens' George Noel Taylor 3,274 22.97
Citizens' Albert Maud 3,259 22.86 +10.10
Citizens' Cyril Phelps 3,177 22.29
Citizens' James Philip Treahy 1,946 13.65
Citizens' Edwin Ernest Stoupe 1,885 13.22

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. "Local Body Elections Concluded - Continued Minor Trend to Labour Noted". The Evening Post. 2 November 1953. p. 10.
  4. "City of Lower Hutt - Election of Mayor". The Evening Post. 16 November 1953. p. 2.
  5. "City of Lower Hutt - Election of Fifteen Councillors". The Evening Post. 16 November 1953. p. 2.

References
  • Millar, David P. (1972). Once Upon a Village: A History of Lower Hutt 1819-1965. Lower Hutt: New Zealand University Press & LHCC. OCLC 154232923.
  • McGill, David (1991). Lower Hutt – The First Garden City. Petone, New Zealand: Lower Hutt City Council. ISBN 1-86956-003-5.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.