Election Name: | 1947 Wellington City mayoral election |
Country: | New Zealand |
Flag Image: | Wellington Coat Of Arms (1878-1951).svg |
Type: | Presidential |
Ongoing: | no |
Previous Election: | 1944 Wellington City mayoral election |
Previous Year: | 1944 |
Next Election: | 1950 Wellington City mayoral election |
Next Year: | 1950 |
Election Date: | 19 November 1947 |
Turnout: | 49,842 (50.63%) |
Candidate1: | Will Appleton |
Party1: | Wellington Citizens' Association |
Popular Vote1: | 27,000 |
Percentage1: | 54.17 |
Candidate2: | Nathan Seddon |
Party2: | New Zealand Labour Party |
Popular Vote2: | 22,444 |
Percentage2: | 45.04 |
Mayor | |
Before Election: | Will Appleton |
After Election: | Will Appleton |
The 1947 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1947, election 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.
The Citizens' Association reselected the incumbent mayor Will Appleton. He had been mayor for three years and a councillor for thirteen years prior. He had been chairman of the works committee since 1933. All eleven Citizens' councillors who were not retiring were reselected.[1]
The Labour Party almost decided not to contest the mayoralty. When the Wellington Labour Representation Committee met to discuss the municipal elections a motion to put up a mayoral candidate was carried by only thirty-seven votes to thirty-five. Ultimately it selected Newtown businessman Nathan Richard Seddon as its candidate.[2] He was the Chairman of the Wellington Education Board and a grand nephew of Richard Seddon, a former Prime Minister of New Zealand.[3]