1959 Auckland City mayoral election
The 1959 Auckland City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1959, elections were held for the Mayor of Auckland plus other local government positions including twenty-one city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.Background
High profile councillor Dove-Myer Robinson defeated incumbent Mayor Keith Buttle of the Citizens & Ratepayers ticket, who had not been opposed by Robinson and his United Independent colleagues in the 1957 contest. Campaigning as "Robbie", Robinson campaigned on an independent and populist platform. He charged Buttle with lethargy and the Citizens & Ratepayers councillors as being out of touch with Aucklanders and taking power for granted. Media coverage cemented Robinson's image as an outsider battling the politics of vested interest, hallmarks that would define Robinson's style of campaigning and leadership for the rest of his life. The United Independents electoral ticket had merged with the Labour Party to campaign together under the Civic Reform banner and informally supported Robinson for the mayoralty.Councillor results
