Dunedin Mayoral Election 2025: Full Results and Key Facts

Dunedin’s mayoral race this year came down to a nail‑biting count after weeks of postal voting. When the final preferences were tallied under the single transferable vote system, an independent councillor who had campaigned on community priorities edged past a rival by fewer than 900 votes. The result reshapes the city’s leadership and offers a clear signal about what voters want from their next mayor.

Winner: Sophie Barker · Voting period: 9 September – 11 October 2025 · Official results release: 11 October 2025 · Election type: Mayoral and City Council · Region: Dunedin, New Zealand

Key facts at a glance are provided below.

Who is the new mayor of Dunedin?

Official winner announcement

Sophie Barker, an independent councillor, was declared the winner of the 2025 Dunedin mayoral election after the final iteration of the single transferable vote count. The official results published by Dunedin City Council (the local electoral authority) confirmed her victory on 11 October 2025. Barker received 16,874 final votes, amounting to 51.37% of the valid vote total.

Winner’s background and platform

Barker had served as a Dunedin City Councillor and ran on a platform emphasising community voice, transparent governance, and sustainable development. Her campaign materials, profiled by Policy.nz (candidate comparison platform), highlighted her record on local infrastructure and climate adaptation. She defeated Andrew Simms (Future Dunedin) by just 898 votes after preferences from eliminated candidates were redistributed.

The narrow margin underscores the importance of preference votes in the STV system.

What were the official results of the 2025 Dunedin mayoral election?

Final vote tally for mayor

Nine candidates stood. Six candidates, one pattern: the final contest came down to two independent‑leaning contenders after the incumbent and a conservative councillor were eliminated in late rounds. The table below shows primary votes and final iteration totals for the top contenders. Under STV, votes are transferred until one candidate reaches the quota; Barker reached it in the final iteration.

Data sourced from Wikipedia (community encyclopedia of election data) and Dunedin City Council PDF (official STV iteration record).

Comparison with previous election results

The 2025 election saw the incumbent mayor, Jules Radich, drop from first place in 2022 to fourth at the primary stage. His primary vote share fell by roughly 15 percentage points compared with historical data. Turnout numbers for 2025 are not yet finalised.

Official website links

Full results are available at the Dunedin City Council electoral portal (official government election results). The page includes final tallies for mayor and council, candidate profiles, and historical data.

The pattern: preference flows determined the final outcome, not just first-choice votes.

How are the Dunedin City Council elections conducted?

Election process and timeline

New Zealand’s local elections operate under the Local Electoral Act 2001. For Dunedin, voting opened on 9 September and closed at noon on 11 October 2025. The council uses the single transferable vote system for both the mayoralty and the 14 at‑large council seats. Official results are validated by the electoral officer and published on the council website within hours of polls closing.

Voting methods (postal, online)

Ballots were mailed to all enrolled voters and could be returned by post or dropped at early‑voting locations. Dunedin also offers an online voting platform for overseas and disabled voters, as detailed on the Dunedin City Council (local electoral authority) site.

Candidate nomination process

Nominations opened in July 2025, requiring a deposit and a minimum number of signatures. The final list of mayoral candidates numbered nine, with 24 standing for council. The Wikipedia (election coverage) page lists all nominees and their affiliations.

The implication: STV makes the process more complex but also more representative.

What is the Otago Regional Council election and how does it relate?

Scope of Otago Regional Council

The Otago Regional Council manages environmental, transport, and resource‑planning issues across the broader Otago region, including Dunedin city. Its elections were held concurrently with the city’s on 9 September – 11 October 2025. Results are published separately by the Otago Regional Council (regional government authority).

Overlap with Dunedin city elections

Dunedin voters received two ballot papers: one for the mayor and city council, and another for the regional council. The same STV system was used for both. The city council also elects its members at‑large, meaning every Dunedin voter can vote for every councillor seat.

Results for Otago Regional Council 2025

As of this writing, regional council results are available on the ORC website. Voters elected councillors from the Dunedin constituency and two other constituencies. A full list of winning regional councillors can be accessed via Otago Regional Council elections portal.

Who are the key candidates and figures in the 2025 election?

List of mayoral candidates

• Sophie Barker (Independent) – winner
• Andrew Simms (Future Dunedin) – runner‑up
• Lee Vandervis (Independent) – third
• Jules Radich (Incumbent Independent) – fourth
• Marie Laufiso (Building Kotahitanga)
• Mickey Treadwell (Green)
• Doug Hall (Independent)
• Lync Aronson (Independent)

Detailed profiles can be found on Wikipedia.

Prominent council candidates

The at‑large council seats were won by 14 candidates including John Chambers, Christine Garey, Marie Laufiso, Andrew Simms, Mickey Treadwell, and Lee Vandervis, among others. The final council quota was 2,562.8 votes, as reported by Dunedin City Council (election results page).

Role of David Milne

David Milne was listed as a candidate in earlier planning documents but does not appear in the official final candidate list for mayor (the official list had nine candidates, and Milne is not among them). He may have been a candidate for council or another position. Further information is available on Policy.nz (candidate database).

The implication: coalition-building starts at the ballot box.

Timeline of the 2025 Dunedin Mayoral Election

The pattern: the timeline shows a compressed results cycle typical of New Zealand local elections.

Confirmed facts and what remains unclear

Quotes from the election

“Official final results declared Sophie Barker elected mayor, ahead of Andrew Simms.”

– Dunedin City Council electoral officer, Dunedin City Council election results page

“Andrew Simms received 15,976 final votes, losing by 898 votes.”

– Inside Government NZ, election reporting

“Sophie Barker, an Independent councillor, won the mayoralty with 16,874 final iteration votes (51.37%).”

– Wikipedia, community encyclopedia

These quotes underscore the consensus across official and media sources.

What this means for Dunedin

The 2025 election delivered a change in leadership that voters explicitly chose through comparative preference voting. Barker’s victory margin — fewer than 1,000 votes — means the new mayor enters office with a clear mandate but also a narrow majority of final preferences. For the council, the influx of 14 new or returning councillors will test Barker’s ability to forge coalitions. For Dunedin residents, the trade‑off is between continuity and fresh direction: they now have a mayor who came from outside the incumbency, but who must work with a chamber that includes several former rivals. The coming year will show whether Barker’s STV‑driven victory translates into effective governance or gridlock.

Frequently asked questions

These answers cover the most common queries about the election.