1935 Christchurch mayoral election explained

Election Name:1935 Christchurch mayoral election
Country:New Zealand
Flag Image:Christchurch COA pre-1949.jpg
Type:Presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1933 Christchurch mayoral election
Previous Year:1933
Next Election:1936 Christchurch mayoral by-election
Next Year:1936
Turnout:39,803
Election Date:8 May 1935
Candidate1:Dan Sullivan
Party1:New Zealand Labour Party
Popular Vote1:20,066
Percentage1:50.41
Candidate2:Hugh Acland
Party2:Christchurch Citizens' Association
Popular Vote2:19,737
Percentage2:49.59
Mayor
Before Election:Dan Sullivan
After Election:Dan Sullivan

The 1935 Christchurch City mayoral election was held on 8 May. The incumbent, Dan Sullivan of the Labour Party narrowly beat the conservative candidate, Hugh Acland, a surgeon and World War I veteran. The election attracted nationwide attention, as Christchurch was a Labour-stronghold and due to Acland's widespread popularity, it was regarded as a test whether Labour could potentially win the November 1935 general election.

Background

In 1935, the voting system returned to the initially used first-past-the-post after a ranked voting system had been tried for some years.[1] The country experienced the Great Depression at the time, with high unemployment. Sullivan had been the city's mayor since 1931, when he beat William Hayward.

Candidates

Dan SullivanDan Sullivan was first elected to Christchurch City Council in 1915. He had first stood for the House of Representatives in the and in, he decisively beat the Minister of Public Health, George Warren Russell, in the wake of the 1918 flu epidemic. Since then, Sullivan had been representing the electorate. Sullivan stood for mayor in 1923 but was beaten by James Arthur Flesher. A Labour Party politician, he was regarded as a moderate.
Hugh AclandSir Hugh Acland was from a prominent Canterbury family. The youngest of John Acland's 11 children, he was a grandson of Christchurch's first bishop, Henry Harper. John Acland was a member of the Legislative Council for a third of a century.[2] Just prior to the election, the engagement of his son Jack was announced to Kit Ormond;[3] her family was equally prominent in New Zealand, and her grandfather, John Davies Ormond, had been Superintendent of Hawke's Bay Province. Hugh Acland was a prominent surgeon who served with the New Zealand Medical Corps during World War I. Acland was knighted in the 1933 Birthday Honours for services to medicine. Acland stood in the election for the conservative Citizens' Association.[4]

Campaign

Sullivan's selection for the 1935 mayoralty election was announced on 1 February.[5] John Beanland and Ernest Andrews were rumoured as possible candidates for the Citizens' Association,[6] but Acland's candidacy was announced on 25 February.[7] [8]

Results

Sullivan beat Acland by a small margin, with the election resulting in a record turnout. There were significant differences between the preliminary results released on the evening of the election, and the final results three days later.[9]

Aftermath

The Labour Party won the November 1935 general election and Sullivan was appointed cabinet minister. Sullivan reluctantly resigned from the mayoralty in February 1936, as the heavy workload of a cabinet minister was incompatible with remaining mayor.[10] The resulting by-election on 11 March 1936 was narrowly won by the deputy-mayor, John Beanland, who represented the Citizens' Association.[11] [12] Beanland beat Labour's candidate, John Archer who had previously been mayor from 1925 to 1931.[13]

References

Notes and References

  1. News: The Municipal Elections . 8 May 2016 . . LXXI . 21423 . 15 March 1935 . 19.
  2. Book: An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand . originally published in 1966 . Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga . A. H. . McLintock . Alexander Hare McLintock . 10 January 2012 . Acland, John Barton Arundel . 22 April 2009.
  3. News: News For Women . 8 May 2016 . . LXXI . 21399 . 15 February 1935 . 2.
  4. News: The Municipal Elections . 8 May 2016 . . LXXI . 21424 . 16 March 1935 . 20.
  5. News: Mr Sullivan for Mayoralty . 8 May 2016 . . LXXI . 21387 . 1 February 1935 . 12.
  6. News: Candidates for Mayoralty . 8 May 2016 . . LXXI . 21388 . 2 February 1935 . 16.
  7. News: The Mayoralty . 8 May 2016 . . LXXI . 21407 . 25 February 1935 . 10.
  8. News: Sir Hugh Acland to stand . 8 May 2016 . . LXXI . 21407 . 25 February 1935 . 12.
  9. News: The Elections . 8 May 2016 . . LXXI . 21471 . 13 May 1935 . 12.
  10. News: By-Elections for Council . 20 May 2016 . . LXXI . 21647 . 4 December 1935 . 10.
  11. News: The By-Election . 20 May 2016 . . LXXII . 21730 . 12 March 1936 . 12.
  12. News: Mayor's Reduced Majority . 20 May 2016 . . LXXII . 21732 . 14 March 1936 . 18.
  13. News: City Council Election . 20 May 2016 . . LXXII . 21701 . 7 February 1936 . 12.

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