The 1992 Wellington City mayoral election was part of the held that same year. In 1992, elections were held for the Mayor of Wellington plus other local government roles including 21 councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.
The election saw Fran Wilde, the MP for Wellington Central, elected as the new mayor of Wellington replacing incumbent Sir Jim Belich who had retired after serving two terms. Wilde became Wellington's first female mayor, defeating former Deputy Mayor Helene Ritchie and her predecessor as MP for Wellington Central Ken Comber who ran for the Citizens' Association.
Background
In November 1991, former Deputy Mayor Helene Ritchie, was the first person to declare their candidacy.[1] The next day incumbent mayor, Sir Jim Belich, made inferences that he was considering standing for a third term. He would not rule out standing for re-election, but stated he would not make a final decision until February.[2] This was a surprise given Belich stated when he was first elected in 1986 that he wished to serve for only two terms. Ultimately Belich cited this pledge as his main reason when he decided not to stand again. He stated "I said if I couldn't do in six years what was in my power to do I'm not sure I could do more in nine. The main things on my agenda, formed after my election, have been done."[3]
Following Belich's decision to retire from the mayoralty, the Labour Party chose Wellington Central MP Fran Wilde as their candidate. Initially Eastern Ward councillor Nic Dalton was favoured to replace Belich though Dalton ruled himself out of contention for both the mayoralty and council.[4][5] Attention then turned to Wilde's status as an MP with the prospect of her taking both a parliamentary and mayoral salary or the prospect of a by-election at taxpayer expense. Labour leader Mike Moore made known his preference for Wilde to remain in Parliament, offering to relieve her of portfolios to help with workload, although Wilde ultimately decided to resign from Parliament if elected mayor.[6]
The Citizens' Association had no shortage of people interested in being their mayoral candidate. Citizens' leader on the council Les Stephens, Eastern ward councillor Ruth Gotlieb, former councillor Bryan Weyburne, ex-deputy mayor Gavin Wilson and previous mayor Ian Lawrence were all approached by the selection committee. Insurance executive Boyd Klap, broadcaster Sharon Crosbie, management executive Basil Logan as well as two former National Party MPs, Ken Comber and Tony Friedlander, also spoke to Citizens' selectors.[7] Five names (Comber, Gotlieb, Lawrence, Stephens and Weyburne) went forward for the final selection panel. The association made a surprise choice, choosing Comber as their candidate for mayor.[8] Gotlieb ran for mayor and council regardless as an independent. Stephens in the Onslow ward, Weyburne ran in the Western ward and Lawrence for the Wellington Regional Council. Former Citizens' councillor David Bull ran for mayor again after breaking withe the ticket in 1989.[9]
