1938 Auckland City mayoral election explained

Election Name:1938 Auckland City mayoral election
Country:New Zealand
Flag Image:Coat of arms of Auckland.svg
Type:Presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1935 Auckland City mayoral election
Previous Year:1935
Next Election:1941 Auckland City mayoral election
Next Year:1941
Election Date:11 May 1938
Turnout:40,718 (61.50%)
Candidate1:Sir Ernest Davis
Party1:Citizens & Ratepayers
Popular Vote1:26,176
Percentage1:64.28
Candidate2:Joe Sayegh
Party2:New Zealand Labour Party
Popular Vote2:13,689
Percentage2:33.61
Mayor
Before Election:Sir Ernest Davis
After Election:Sir Ernest Davis

The 1938 Auckland City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1938, elections were held for the Mayor of Auckland plus other local government positions including twenty-one city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

The election saw incumbent mayor Sir Ernest Davis re-elected, increasing his majority in the process. The Labour Party again stood councillor Joe Sayegh (who was only narrowly defeated by Davis in 1935) as their candidate.

Candidates

Citizens & RatepayersThe incumbent mayor Sir Ernest Davis accepted the wishes of a deputation of citizens led by William R. Fee, the president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.[1]
LabourTwo people were nominated for the Labour Party nomination to contest the mayoralty; the deputy mayor Bernard Martin and councillor Joe Sayegh (who stood for mayor in 1935). At a delegates meeting of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee Sayegh was selected as Labour's mayoral candidate.[2]

Campaign

Prior to the election several long serving Labour members of the city council were unexpectedly denied re-nomination. Ted Phelan, Arthur Rosser and George Gordon Grant were de-selected in the party selection process.[3] Rosser ran for re-election regardless as an independent, but was defeated. The following year he was expelled from the Labour Party for standing against official party candidates. The Citizens & Ratepayers regained their majority on the city council and Sir George Richardson was appointed deputy mayor. However, Richardson died a month later and was succeeded as deputy mayor by John Allum. Richardson's death triggered a by-election which saw his seat gained by Labour Party candidate Charles Bailey, a former councillor who had lost his seat.[4]

Councillor results

Table footnotes:

Notes and References

  1. News: Auckland Mayoralty - Sir Ernest Davis to be a Candidate . . 8 December 1937 . LXXIII . 22270 . 19 .
  2. News: Labour's Bid . . 28 January 1938 . LXIX . 23 . 9 .
  3. News: Civic Elections - Labour Candidates . 29 January 1938 . . LXXV . 22949 . 15 .
  4. News: By-election . . 8 July 1938 . 20 August 2018 . LXIX . 159 . 5 .