Glyn Walters, Planning Manager of Auckland City Elections on Te Wahanga Parakuihi with Dale Husband

Glyn Walters, Planning Manager of Auckland City Elections on Te Wahanga Parakuihi with Dale Husband

Auckland has chosen its new leader and it is once again a candidate from the left.

Long-serving Labour MP Phil Goff has been elected, Auckland Council announced on Saturday afternoon.

Goff won as expected in a landslide, receiving almost 50 per cent of votes counted to date, with 179,206.

His nearest rival, right-leaning Vic Crone, gathered 105,413 votes.

The youngest mayoral candidate, Chloe Swarbrick, came a respectable third with 26,474 votes.

John Palino received 21,398, Mark Thomas 9170 and Penny Bright 6577.

Auckland Council's Governance Director Phil Wilson phoned Goff just after 1.30pm, an hour and a half after the election closed, to advise that he had won the mayoralty, ahead of 18 other candidates.

Goff will now step down as Mt Roskill MP, with a by-election to be held.

His first tasks will be to appoint a deputy mayor and start work on a new budget.

Goff spoke to dozens of rapturous supporters gathered at a Freemans Bay bar.

Goff said the large margin gave him a strong mandate from the Auckland public.

Thursday 13 October Final election results announced

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