Leading Auckland mayoral candidate Leo Molloy has confirmed that he is stepping out of the race.
“It’s the right thing to do for the city,” he said in a surprising statement on Friday.
Molloy said the result of a new poll he received last night showed he had fallen to third place behind Wayne Brown.
“I was mortified,” Molloy told media Friday afternoon, and that started internal discussion that he would withdraw before noon, after which his name would be on the ballot.
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Molloy said in the hotly contested race that he thought centre-right rival Viv Beck might be a late pullout, but Beck submitted her nomination just two hours before the afternoon deadline.
“That was the staredown, that’s what we thought would happen — that Viv would wave the white flag, but she didn’t,” Molloy said.
The Curia poll for the Auckland Ratepayers Alliance was the first in four polls to leave Molloy behind “the fixer” Wayne Brown.
RICKY WILSON/Things
Leo Molloy says he is withdrawing from the mayoral race.
The poll found that 45% of those polled were still undecided.
Once the undecided were undressed, the support went to Efeso Collins at 22.3%, Wayne Brown 18.6%, Leo Molloy 14.5%, Viv Beck 12.5%, Craig Lord 7.2, Ted Johnston 6.4% and Gary Brown 6.2%.
Molloy said the telling moment for him was that the undecided in the poll, when asked further, were not in his favor.
Molloy ran one of the biggest campaigns in the race, just a week ago said goodbye to his media manager and the contractors who produced its social media, in what has been termed a “reorientation”.
He told the media that his campaign team was always hired on a month-to-month basis and strong polls were the key to keep going.
Molloy wouldn’t say how much had been spent on his campaign so far, except “a lot” and much of it was his own money.
RICKY WILSON/Things
According to the latest poll, Wayne Brown is now in second place in the race, behind Efeso Collins. (File photo)
Collins said on Friday that he was “focused on the mayoralty, but I wish Leo the best and appreciate the passion and energy he brought into the race”.
Lord said Molloy’s resignation was “good timing” for Auckland.
“Having too many centre-right candidates fighting for the same vote is not smart…this now gives voters someone to turn to.”
Ted Johnston said he sent Molloy his “condolences”.
“He was entertaining and a character, but now we should be able to focus on some other candidates. It’s a wide open race.”
Viv Beck said she won over Molloy’s withdrawal.
“With Leo Molloy pulling out, the poll is now irrelevant. It’s a three-horse race and still wide open. No candidate can take anything for granted,” she said.
“I am encouraged by the amount of support I have received following Mr Molloy’s withdrawal.”
An early investment by Molloy in a campaign bus – a converted and fully packed coach – was one element that proved problematic.
DAVID WHITE/STUFF
Leo Molloy’s campaign bus.
The bus had gearbox and certification issues after the interior was converted from a fully seated coach to a vehicle with entertainment and storage areas and seats.
The mayoral race had yielded 17 confirmed nominations by the end of Thursday, with half a day left to submit nominations until noon Friday.
In 2019 there were 21 candidates in the race.
The ballots will be sent out in mid-September, prior to Election Day of October 8.