Editorial: Race for mayors heats up

So, who wants to be mayor?

In the Far North, it sounds like John Carter was hours away from being elected unopposed, until Peter Gill, under the delightfully named Awake at the Wheel banner, dropped his nomination in last Friday. Over in the Kaipara, Greg Gent and Bruce Rogan are two names who have enjoyed some media profile, but sometimes that isn't necessarily a good thing.

Which means if Christian Simon and Jay Ben Tane run strong local campaigns, who knows?

In Whangarei in 2013, there were enough mayoral candidates for a football team with one reserve.

In 2016, there are six candidates with incumbent Sheryl Mai putting her hand up to be captain again. If successful, she would be the district's first two-term mayor in 12 years.

However, she has Stu Bell, coming off his first term as a councillor, to contend with and returning councillor Kay Brittenden. Plus there are two local body tickets contesting.

Go Whangarei - which ran a high-profile pre-election recruitment campaign - has David Blackley seeking the mayoralty plus the Whangarei Heads ward seat. And TogetherTahi curiously has two candidates - Ash Holwell and Mat Keene - competing against each other for the top job.

Although, standing for the mayoralty is a time-honoured way of boosting your profile to get elected as a councillor.

The next month or so will reveal which candidates are there for the exposure, or which ones have decided they can convince Whangarei they are the best person for the job.

We'll ask those questions on your behalf, and we're also happy to put appropriate reader questions to the candidates as well.

And back by popular demand, will be the mayoral candidate meeting in Whangarei, organised by the Northern Advocate in conjunction with Classic Hits and the Northland Chamber of Commerce.

Watch this space for more details of that evening on September 20 at Whangarei's Forum North Exhibition Hall.