1977 Wellington City mayoral election

The 1977 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1977, election were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government positions including eighteen city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

1977 Wellington City mayoral election

← 1974 8 October 1977 1980 →
Turnout	41,641 (46.88%)
Candidate Michael Fowler Sir Frank Kitts Party Citizens' Labour Popular vote 17,041 14,022 Percentage 40.92 33.67   Candidate Tony Brunt Carmen Party Values Independent Popular vote 7,996 1,686 Percentage 19.20 4.04
Mayor before election Michael Fowler Elected mayor Michael Fowler

Background

The 1977 mayoralty was notable for the highly publicized candidacy of Carmen Rupe, a transgender drag performer and brothel keeper. With the support of local businessman Bob Jones, who organised her campaign and wrote her speeches, Carmen's campaign utilised the slogans Get in Behind and Carmen for Mayor^[1] and campaigned on a platform to legalise gay marriage and brothels, despite neither being local-government matters in New Zealand.^[2]

Former mayor Sir Frank Kitts attempted a comeback after losing narrowly three years earlier. His candidature took many by surprise with the press expecting Labour to try and rejuvenate. Local businessman Jim Belich was approached, but he declined for personal reasons.^[3] Frank O'Flynn also considered standing, but withdrew in favour of Kitts, though O'Flynn stood on the council ticket and was elected. A Dominion editorial said of Kitts' candidature "No one knew what Frank Kitts did during his three years in the political wilderness and no one knew why he wanted to come back".^[4] His support in the mayoral race fell further, though he was again elected to the Wellington Harbour Board where his vote increased.

Mayoralty results

1977 Wellington mayoral election^[5][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Citizens'	Michael Fowler	17,041	40.92	−0.44
	Labour	Sir Frank Kitts	14,022	33.67	−6.68
	Values	Tony Brunt	7,996	19.20	+3.85
	Independent	Carmen	1,686	4.04
	Independent Citizens'	Saul Goldsmith	568	1.36	−0.76
	Independent	Ivan Solt	167	0.40
	Civic Reform	Donald McMillan	161	0.38
Informal votes			280	0.67
Majority			3,019	7.25	+6.24
Turnout			41,641	46.88	+3.76

Councillor results

1977 Wellington City Council election^[5][6]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Values	Tony Brunt	20,664	49.62	+9.17
	Citizens'	Ian Lawrence	20,617	49.51	+6.26
	Labour	Bill Jeffries	20,415	49.02	+6.76
	Citizens'	Stewart Duff	20,141	48.36	+1.36
	Labour	Keith Spry	20,133	48.34	+9.65
	Citizens'	Betty Campbell	20,122	48.32	+3.89
	Citizens'	Rosemary Young	20,069	48.19	+10.35
	Citizens'	Audrey Fitzgerald	19,609	47.09	+6.93
	Labour	Brian O'Brien	18,829	45.21	−9.06
	Labour	Frank O'Flynn	18,510	44.45
	Citizens'	Irvine Yardley	18,035	43.31	+6.97
	Citizens'	John Wootton	17,709	42.52	+9.58
	Citizens'	Jim McMillan	17,600	42.26	+7.89
	Labour	Joe Aspell	17,475	41.96	+4.69
	Labour	Jenny Brough	16,019	38.46
	Labour	Helene Ritchie	15,871	38.11
	Citizens'	Bruce Harris	15,529	37.29	+2.52
	Citizens'	Gavin Wilson	15,353	36.86
	Labour	Marijke Robinson	15,291	36.72
	Citizens'	David Bull	14,917	35.82
	Labour	Tala Cleverley[nb 1]	15,056	36.15
	Citizens'	Alan Revell	14,860	35.68
	Labour	Jim Edwards	14,716	35.34
	Citizens'	Les Chapman	14,667	35.22	−3.98
	Labour	Fanaura Kingstone	14,377	34.53
	Citizens'	Des Hoskins	14,376	34.52	−1.56
	Labour	Jim Kebbell	14,270	34.26
	Labour	Tilly Hunter	14,235	34.18
	Citizens'	Les Paske	14,166	34.01
	Labour	John Ulrich	13,972	33.55	+5.34
	Citizens'	Ernie Gartrell	13,709	32.92
	Citizens'	Seton Nossiter	13,703	32.90
	Citizens'	George Nicholls	13,423	32.23	−0.72
	Labour	Joe McTaggart	13,022	31.27
	Labour	Ross Simpson	12,561	30.16
	Labour	Mark Peck	11,881	28.53
	Values	Judith Reinken	8,745	21.00
	Independent Citizens'	Saul Goldsmith	7,636	18.33	−6.49
	Values	Chris Wheeler	7,269	17.45
	Independent	Carmen	6,817	16.37
	Values	Brian Dreadon	6,766	16.24
	Civic Reform	Donald McMillan	4,761	11.43
	Independent	David Mitchell	2,963	7.11
	Independent	Ron England	2,860	6.86	−12.00
	Independent	Ivan Solt	2,731	6.55
	Civic Reform	Amatanga Sooialo	2,547	6.11
	Independent	Frank Moncur	2,218	5.32	−10.13
	Civic Reform	James Quinn	2,100	5.04
	Civic Reform	James Billings	1,852	4.44

Table footnotes:

1. Cleverley was appointed to fill the vacancy on the council in 1979 caused by Irvine Yardley's resignation

References

1. Trust: A true story of Women and Gangs. Pip Desmond. 2009. Page 158
2. "Carmen Rupe, legend, dies in Sydney". gaynz.com. 2011. Archived from the original on 7 January 2012. Retrieved 20 December 2011. Transgender goddess and glbt community icon Carmen Rupe has died in Sydney, aged 75, from kidney failure following months of poor health.
3. Hogan, Anne (11 February 1986). "Jim Belich tipped for Labour's mayoral bid". The Evening Post.
4. "The Last Hurrah". The Dominion. 28 December 1977.
5. Smyth, Alan J. (25 October 1977). Declaration of Election Results (Report). Wellington City Council.
6. "Wellington". The Evening Post. 10 October 1977.