Liz McMillan spent less than half as much as her rivals in a successful campaign to be Ashburton Mayor.

Electoral returns show that McMillan spent $4162.39 on the election campaign, where she won by 4000 votes, receiving 5979 votes, at $0.70 per mayoral vote.

Her nearest rival, Russell Ellis, spent $11,304.45, while Jeff Ryan was the biggest spender at $13,075.79.

Ryan only received 924 votes, $14 per vote, while Ellis came in at $5.68 for each of his 1989 votes.

All three candidates had also stood for a ward seat, with Ellis re-elected for a fourth term.

Former councillor Rob Mackle only had a mayoral bid, but his expense return has not been received.

Carolyn Cameron topped the spending of the ward-only candidates at $3194.87, almost double the next highest in Deb Gilkison, who spent $17157.

Third-term councillor Cameron polled the highest in Ashburton for the second-straight election with 5075 votes, at $0.63.

Second-term councillor Phill Hooper spent $557.75 to run second to Cameron in Ashburton with 5,071 votes, at $0.10.

Second-term councillor Tony Todd spent $1492.99 to attract 4,530 votes ($0.33) and new councillor Julie Moffet invested $1444.07 to secure her seat on council with 2,645 votes ($0.55).

Step Poole missed out on a seat after a $1392.47 for her 1,960 votes ($0.71).

In the Western Ward, McMillan won the mayoralty, meaning the two vacancies went to Jeanette Maxwelland Deb Gilkison.

Maxwell spent $795 on her campaign to receive 1,193 votes ($0.67), and Gilkison’s $1757.75 campaign had her get 954 votes ($1.84).

The Eastern Ward only had two candidates nominated for the two seats. Unsurprisingly, Phill Everest didn’t spend a cent, but deputy mayor Richard Wilson still spent $250 on print advertising to outline his intentions for his second term.

Selwyn spend

Lydia Gliddon’s landslide mayoral victory equated to $0.76 per vote.

Gliddon spent $14,570 on her successful campaign, receiving 19,129 votes to beat out three-term mayor Sam Broughton by 13,852 votes.

Broughton had spent $19,475 in his quest for a fourth term as mayor, with his 5,277 coming at $3.60.

Brad Mannering listed $660 of expenses, including $200 fuel bill and the $200 nomination fee.

Without the nomination fee factored in, his 1,867 equated to $0.25 per vote.

The expense forms varied in depth of detail, with most candidates sticking to listing expenses above $200, and some listing the refundable $200 nomination fee.

Ashwin Mani spent the most out of the council candidates with $10,806.26, which included $9500 on social media marketing, but he received the least amount of votes, just 414 in the Kā Mānia Rolleston Ward, fewer than Errol Maffey (656), who had a $0 expense return.

The three candidates who spent the most chasing the two at-large seats all missed out.

Samantha Samuel ($6556.57), Calvin Payne ($5230.65) and Sharon Hunt ($4045.82) received fewer votes than Samuel Wilshire ($2029.75) and Tracey MacLeod ($1792.94).

It was Payne’s third failed attempt to be elected to the council, having spent $6576 on the last two election campaigns, where he was successful in taking a seat on the Malvern Community Board in 2022.

ECan election costs

As for Environment Canterbury’s Mid-Canterbury/Ōpākihi election

Ian Mackenzie spent $6,746.93 on being selected for a third term, receiving 18,725 votes ($0.36).

John Sunckell had the second-highest campaign costs across ECan candidates with $16,383.44.

That had his 16,001 votes come in at $1.02.

Helen Troy spent $2,590.25, and Peter Trolove $5,516.25.

Sunckell’s spend was only bettered by successful Christchurch Central/Ōhoko councillor Nettles Lamont, who spent $19,568.23 (receiving $6,000 of donations).

Mayoral costs comparison

McMillan and Gliddon’s successful campaigns came in at similar spend-per-vote figures, $0.70 and $0.76 respectively, for the first-term mayors.

In comparison, Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon had a $2.21, Christchurch Mayor Phill Mauger $1.31, and a $0.84 for Timaru Mayor Nigel Bowen as teh three incumbents all secured re-election.

Gordon spent $34,945, with $15,476 in donations, and received 15766 votes.

His rival, Paul Williams, received $34,640 in donations and spent all that figure on the campaign to receive 5132 votes - at $6.71 per vote.

In Christchurch, Mauger spent $68,015, having received $116,000 in donations, equating to $1.31 for each of his 60,137 votes.

Mauger’s main rival, Sara Templeton, spent $67,927 with $29,463 in donations, for 40,533 votes at $1.60.

Bowen secured a third term as Timaru Mayor with a $7037 campaign, $0.84 for each of his 8424 votes in a comfortable win over Stu Piddington, who only spent $339.25.

Bowen’s previous campaign cost $5478, a far cry from his $24,000 campaign to gain the mayoralty for the first time in 2019.

Marie Black retained the Hurunui mayoralty uncontested, with only a $100 expense on new headshots filed as an expense.

EXPENSE LIST

Ashburton

Mayoralty

Jeff Ryan: $13,075.79

Russell Ellis: $11,304.45

Liz McMillan: $4162.39

Rob Mackle: Not Received

Ashburton Ward

Carolyn Cameron: $3194.87

Tony Todd: $1492.99

Julie Moffett: $1444.07

Steph Poole $1392.47

Phill Hooper: $557.75

Dolf van Amersfort: $356.50

Leonard Cojocaru: Not received

*Ryan and Ellis both ran in the Ashburton Ward

Eastern Ward

Richard Wilson: $250

Phill Everest: $0

Western Ward

Deb Gilkison: $1757.75

Jeanette Maxwell: $795.

*McMillan also ran in the Western Ward

Selwyn

Mayoralty

Sam Broughton: $19,475

Lydia Gliddon: $14,570 ($2000 donation)

Brad Mannering $660 ($660 donations)

At large

Samantha Samuel $6556.57

Sharon Hunt $4045.82 ($531.20)

Calvin Payne $5230.65

Samuel Wilshire $2029.75 ($600 Donations)

Tracey MacLeod $1,792.94

Barry Mackenzie $705.25

Kā Mānia Rolleston Ward

Ashwin Mani: $10,806.26

Chris Till: $7867.87 ($3593 donation)

Brendan Shefford: $5981.90

Moneel Pratap: $4791.44

Paul Weggery: $4396.33

Sophie McInnes: $3276.42

Rhys Laraman: $3215.32

Avi Aulakh: $3001.50

Haydn Porrit: $2980.80

Prabhjeet Singh: $2923

Errol Maffey: $0

Joe Morris: Not Received

Kā Puna Springs Ward

Sarah Barnsley: $7513.67

Zoran Rakovic: $5,767.16

Denise Carrick: $3273.19

Aaron McGlinchey: $2877.73

Tim Pow: $2520.50

Till Peters: $134.88

Te Waihora Ellesmere Ward

Elizabeth Mundt: $3013.44

Murray Lemon: $1353.40

Tawera Malvern Ward  

John Verry: $3668.49

Sharn Nu’u: $522.90