The 2025 Kāpiti Coast District Council election was a local election held from 9 September to 11 October in the Kāpiti Coast District of New Zealand, as part of that year's territorial authority elections and other local elections held nation-wide.
Voters elected the mayor of Kāpiti Coast, 10 district councillors, and other local representatives for the 2025–2028 term of the Kāpiti Coast District Council. Postal voting and the single transferable vote system were used.
Incumbent mayor Janet Holborow won re-election to a second term.
The council voted to introduce a Māori ward for this election; in a referendum on its future held at this election (as part of a nation-wide series of referendums) voters elected to keep the Māori ward.
Key dates 4 July 2025: Nominations for candidates opened 1 August 2025: Nominations for candidates closed at 12 pm 9 September 2025: Voting documents were posted and voting opened 11 October 2025: Voting closed at 12 pm and progress/preliminary results were published 16–19 October 2025: Final results were declared.
Background
Positions up for election Voters in the district elected the mayor of Kāpiti Coast, 10 district councillors in 6 wards, and the members of 5 community boards (Ōtaki, Waikanae, Paraparaumu, Raumati, and Paekākāriki).
They also elected several members of the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Campaign
List of candidates Incumbents not seeking re-election Sophie Handford, councillor for the Paekākāriki-Raumati ward since 2019 Kathy Spiers, incumbent councillor for the Paraparaumu ward, instead ran for the Paraparaumu Community Board
Mayor CandidateAffiliation NotesMartin HallidayIndependentIncumbent councillor for the Paraparaumu ward. Also ran for re-election as a councillor.Dean HarrisWe Love KāpitiAlso ran to be a councillor for the Waikanae general wardKim HobsonIndependentJanet HolborowIndependentIncumbent mayor since 2022Liz KohIndependentCouncillor for the at-large ward since 2022. Also ran as a councillor.Rob McCannNoneAlso ran to be a councillor for the at-large ward
Councillors Kapiti Coast Māori ward The Kapiti Coast Māori ward returned one councillor to the district council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesHimiona GraceTe Pāti MāoriRangi HalberdNoneJason ThurstonNew Zealand Māori Council and Paraparaumu Māori CommitteeBrain Ruawai-HamiltonWe Love KāpitiDeanna RuddNoneJordon WansbroughNone
Ōtaki general ward The Ōtaki general ward returned one councillor to the district council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesHeniti BuickNoneChief executive of Te Puna Oranga o ŌtakiCam ButlerIndependentIncumbent Ōtaki Community Board chairBrent FrogleyWe Love KāpitiRob KofoedNoneIncumbent councillor for the at-large wardShelly WarwickIndependentIncumbent councillor
Waikanae general ward The Waikanae general ward returned two councillors to the district council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesPeter BollmanIndependentSteven BoticaNonePhil ByrneIndependentMartin FrauensteinWe Love KāpitiDean HarrisWe Love KāpitiAlso ran for mayorChris MacleanIndependentMichael MooreNoneJocelyn PrvanovIndependentIncumbent councillorNigel WilsonNoneIncumbent councillor
Paraparaumu general ward The Paraparaumu general ward returned three councillors to the district council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesPaul BaggottIndependentGlen CooperIndependentIncumbent councillorDavid FreemanNoneMartin HallidayIndependentIncumbent councillor. Also ran for mayor.Chris HarwoodWe Love KāpitiMurray LobbNoneEuon MurrellIndependentGlen OlsenIndependentBernie RandallIndependentMark SounessIndependentFiona ViningNone
Paekākāriki-Raumati general ward The Paekākāriki-Raumati general ward returned one councillor to the district council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesZelda EdwardsNoneBede LaracyIndependentChair of the Raumati Community BoardRichard YoungIndependentPreviously ran for council in 2022
At-large ward Two councillors were elected at-large to the district council.
CandidateAffiliation NotesGrant BartlettIndependentJackie ElliottIndependentIncumbent Ōtaki community board memberLawrence KirbyIndependentIncumbent deputy mayor since 2022Liz KohIndependentIncumbent councillor since 2022. Also ran for mayor.Rob McCannNoneAlso ran for mayorJo TurnerIndependentJoanne WelchWe Love KāpitiGavin WelshIndependentMarek WillisNone
Results
Overall turnout was 46.9%, with 20,491 voting papers returned, an increase of 1.1% from the 2022 elections.
With the final results, the following candidates were elected:
Summary WardPreviousElectedMayorJanet HolborowJanet HolborowDistrictwideLawrence KirbyRob McCannLiz KohLiz KohRob Kofoedseat removedKāpiti Coast Māorinew seatHimiona Nehua GraceŌtakiShelly WarwickHeniti BuickPaekākāriki-RaumatiSophie HandfordBede John LaracyParaparaumuMartin Halliday Martin HallidayGlen CooperGlen Cooper Kathy SpiersGlen OlsenWaikanaeNigel WilsonSteve BoticaJocelyn PrvanovJocelyn Prvanov retired
Mayor Incumbent mayor Janet Holborow won re-election to a second term, with Rob McCann coming in second-place.
Kāpiti Coast at-large ward
Ōtaki general ward
Paekākāriki-Raumati general ward
Paraparaumu general ward
Waikanae general ward
Kāpiti Coast Māori ward
Māori ward referendum
See also 2025 Greater Wellington Regional Council election 2025 Porirua City Council election 2025 Wellington City Council election 2025 Hutt City Council election 2025 Upper Hutt City Council election
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