Two Horizons councilors confirmed without election, current chair keen to stay in office

Two people seeking election to the Horizons Regional Council were spared the hassle of election signs and town hall debates as they were the only people standing in their electorate.

However, all other seats are up for grabs after the nominations close on Friday.

Turuhia (Jim) Edmonds became the first councilor ever elected to a Māori seat for Horizons when he was the only nomination in the Raki Māori constituency.

Edmonds has an agricultural background and worked as a monsterer, shearer and fencer before taking on leadership roles with Awhi and the Morikaunui Incorporation.

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Tararua’s incumbent councilor, Allan Benbow, has also walked straight back to a seat at the table after no one stood up to him.

All four Palmerston North incumbents – Jono Naylor, Wiremu Te Awe Awe, Fiona Gordon and current chairman Rachel Keedwell – are seeking re-election, with Bal Ghimire being their sole challenger.

Ghimire is the president of the Bhutanese Association of New Zealand and helped open the country’s first Nepali language school in Palmerston North.

Horizons president is not elected, instead elected by councilors at their first meeting of the term.

Keedwell had already said she wanted to continue as chairman if reelected.

Former chairman Bruce Gordon is aiming to retain one of two seats in the Manawatū-Rangitīkei constituency, but one-time councilor John Turkington is no longer on the list.

The owner of the forestry company was in a difficult position for much of the period that his company, John Turkington Ltd, is being prosecuted by Horizons for alleged environmental violations. The company and others indicted have pleaded not guilty, while charges against Turkington itself have been dropped.

The man who lost Turkington from his seat in the 2019 election, Gordon McKellar, wants his seat back, while Don Ravine, Peter Wells and Paul Bayly are also running.

Ruapehu gets a new representative in his sole seat, with Weston Kirton leaving after one term to be re-elected as mayor of Ruapehu.

Farmer and real estate agent Gail Gray takes on Nikki Riley for the vacant seat.

Whanganui councilor David Cotton is back, but the ward will have at least one new councilor after Nicola Patrick resigns to take a job in Wellington.

Alan Taylor and Allan Wrigglesworth are the other two in the Whanganui constituency.

Horowhenua-based councilors Sam Ferguson and Emma Clarke are joined by farmer Donald Hayes in a race for two seats in that constituency.

The Tonga Māori constituency has two candidates, Warwick Gernhoefer and Te Kenehi Teira, competing for one seat.

Full list of candidates

Palmerston North constituency (four seats)

• Bal Ghimire
• Fiona Gordon
• Rachel Keedwell
• Jono Naylor
• William the influence

Horowhenua constituency (two seats)

• Emma Clarke
• Sam Ferguson
• Donald Hayes

Manawatū-Rangitīkei constituency (two seats)

• Paul Bayly
• Bruce Gordon
• Gordon McKellar
• Don Ravine
• Peter Wells

Ruapehu constituency (one seat)

Whanganui constituency (two seats)

• David Cotton
• Alan Taylor
• Allan Wrigglesworth

Tonga Māori constituency (one seat)

• Warwick Gernhoefer
• genius Taylor