Sophie Barker has been provisionally elected Dunedin mayor by a narrow margin.<\/p>\n
As at 4.05pm Ms Sophie Barker (12,782 votes) is the mayor-elect with a margin of 105 votes over second placed candidate Andrew Simms (12,677 votes).<\/p>\n
With more than 9000 votes still to count, results could change, DCC Deputy Electoral Officer Robyn Dillon said,<\/p>\n
Ms Barker said she was surprised and excited by the result, although there was “still a sliver in it”.<\/p>\n
“It could swing, I guess, because there’s such a little bit in it. However, we shall just see,” she said.<\/p>\n
The tight race between Ms Barker and Mr Simms showed the city was in the mood for change, she said.<\/p>\n
“There’s two front-runners with hardly anything in it and both of us campaigned on change.”<\/p>\n
If Ms Barker maintains her lead, she would be the second woman elected Dunedin mayor after Sukhi Turner in 1995.<\/p>\n
“That’s a pretty huge milestone,” Ms Barker said.<\/p>\n
“I think that would be the most exciting thing for me.”<\/p>\n
”\u00a0I had a great team behind me, women and men, and that makes a huge difference is when you have people that believe in you and bore you up through the very challenging election period.”<\/p>\n
She was sad “to see some experienced councillors look like they have missed out”.<\/p>\n
Andrew Simms said Barker was ahead of him by about 100 votes with an estimated 10,000 votes still to count.<\/p>\n
He expected these to favour Ms Barker.<\/p>\n
“I fully congratulate Sophie, if that’s the way it plays out, as I certainly think late votes will favour her, so I don’t expect the race to change,” Mr Simms said.<\/p>\n
“I’m obviously disappointed in that respect, but all power to Sophie in doing what she’s done, that’s great,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Simms said he was “incredibly\u00a0pleased” to have been elected as a city councillor, along with one member of his Future Dunedin ticket “and potentially another”.<\/p>\n
“I think our primary concern this morning was that there was a better council, and I think that appears to be the case, and so I think that’s good for Dunedin.<\/p>\n
“No matter how the rest of it plays out, I think it’s in a better place now than it was from a council point of view, and I really look forward to being a part of it.”<\/p>\n
He said the vote share may not become more clear until “as late as tomorrow”.<\/p>\n
Jules Radich earlier confirmed he did not win a second term.<\/p>\n
Mr Radich said he expected to be part of the council as a councillor.<\/p>\n
He had felt during the campaign he was “in the mix”, he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Radich said in the past term he had shifted the council’s focus on to infrastructure.<\/p>\n
“It’s important that I remain on council because, in the first instance, I want to see the South Dunedin pipes and pump work installed in the ground and done, finally.”<\/p>\n
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