1956 Auckland City mayoral election explained

Election Name:1956 Auckland City mayoral election
Country:New Zealand
Flag Image:Coat of arms of Auckland.svg
Type:Presidential
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1953 Auckland City mayoral election
Previous Year:1953
Next Election:1957 Auckland City mayoral by-election
Next Year:1957
Election Date:17 November 1956
Turnout:33,795 (42.97%)
Candidate1:Tom Ashby
Party1:Independent politician
Popular Vote1:12,017
Percentage1:35.55
Candidate2:John Luxford
Party2:Citizens & Ratepayers
Popular Vote2:11,274
Percentage2:33.35
Candidate3:John Stewart
Party3:New Zealand Labour Party
Popular Vote3:10,333
Percentage3:30.57
Mayor
Before Election:John Luxford
After Election:Tom Ashby

The 1956 Auckland City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1956, 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.

Background

Mayor John Luxford was challenged over his claim of wasteful expenditure by the Council by former Town Clerk Tom Ashby who claimed Luxford had not remedied the problem with the programmes he had initiated. Ashby was endorsed by the United Independents electoral ticket after Luxford had joined the Citizens & Ratepayers ticket after a falling out with Robinson and his United Independent colleagues who had backed him in his 1953 campaign. The United Independents vote fell, losing their balance of power, with the Citizens & Ratepayers regaining their council majority once again.

Councillor results

Table footnotes:

References