# 1950 Christchurch mayoral election

The 1950 Christchurch mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1950, election were held for the Mayor of Christchurch plus other local government positions. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

## Background

Sitting mayor Ernest Andrews did not seek re-election, and former mayor Robert Macfarlane won the position against Bill MacGibbon, who for many years was the chairman of the Tramway Board. The Labour Party gained a majority on the city council, winning twelve seats to the seven won by the Citizens' Association.

## Mayoral results

The following table gives the election results:
1950 Christchurch mayoral election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robert Macfarlane | 16,385 | 45.41 | |
| | Citizens' | Bill MacGibbon | 15,120 | 41.91 | |
| | Independent | Jim Clarke | 4,176 | 11.57 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 394 | 1.09 | +0.68 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,265 | 3.50 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 36,075 | 37.08 | −9.12 |

## Council results

1950 Christchurch local election :
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | George Manning | 20,458 | 56.70 | +4.99 |
| Labour | Mabel Howard | 18,824 | 52.18 | |
| Labour | Teresa Green | 18,722 | 51.89 | +4.21 |
| Citizens | James Hay | 18,676 | 51.76 | −6.26 |
| Labour | Terry McCombs | 18,654 | 51.70 | |
| Labour | James Barr | 17,584 | 48.74 | |
| Labour | John Mathison | 17,579 | 48.72 | +5.74 |
| Citizens | Leslie George Amos | 17,576 | 48.72 | −3.52 |
| Labour | Lyn Christie | 17,481 | 48.45 | +6.01 |
| Citizens | Mary McLean | 17,110 | 47.42 | −3.93 |
| Citizens | Bill Glue | 16,733 | 46.38 | −1.35 |
| Labour | John Edward Jones | 16,246 | 45.03 | +3.58 |
| Labour | Arthur John Smith | 15,964 | 44.25 | |
| Citizens | John Edward Tait | 15,914 | 44.11 | −2.71 |
| Citizens | Clyde Sheppard | 15,909 | 44.09 | −2.18 |
| Labour | Charles Baldwin | 15,877 | 44.01 | |
| Labour | William Percy Warner | 15,564 | 43.14 | |
| Citizens | Ron Guthrey | 15,524 | 43.03 | −3.84 |
| Labour | Norman Reginald Forbes | 15,358 | 42.57 | +3.52 |
| Labour | Percy Malcolm Velvin | 15,290 | 42.38 | |
| Labour | James Sturrock | 15,214 | 42.17 | |
| Citizens' | Reginald Gilbert Brown | 15,175 | 42.06 | |
| Citizens' | Percey Samuel Turnbull | 15,066 | 41.76 | |
| Citizens' | Robert Reuel Livingstone | 15,005 | 41.59 | |
| Labour | James Shankland Sr. | 14,915 | 41.34 | +3.01 |
| Citizens' | William James Cowles | 14,891 | 41.27 | −1.18 |
| Labour | Robert Newman | 14,878 | 41.24 | |
| Citizens' | Frank Llewellyn Brandt | 14,713 | 40.78 | −1.46 |
| Labour | Jack Leslie Laby | 14,665 | 40.65 | +7.16 |
| Citizens' | George Griffiths | 14,561 | 40.36 | −3.10 |
| Citizens' | Noel David Bowman | 14,470 | 40.11 | |
| Labour | John Gordon Wilson Power | 14,435 | 40.01 | +2.65 |
| Citizens' | Harold Smith | 14,121 | 39.14 | |
| Labour | Herman Tritt | 14,101 | 39.08 | |
| Citizens' | Arthur Norman Stone | 13,996 | 38.79 | −2.79 |
| Citizens' | William Barty Gray | 13,732 | 38.06 | |
| Citizens' | James B. Jenkins | 13,182 | 36.54 | |
| Citizens' | James Ronald Smith | 13,033 | 36.12 | |
| Independent | Edith Ann Coomes | 3,395 | 9.41 | |
| Independent | Oliver Moody | 2,447 | 6.78 | |
| Communist | Ian Robert Carruthers | 1,793 | 4.97 | |
| Independent | Ernest Samuel Marshall | 1,688 | 4.67 | |
| Communist | Geoffrey Ley Empson | 1,623 | 4.49 | |
| Independent | William Henry Davies | 1,604 | 4.44 | |
| Communist | Elsie Locke | 1,586 | 4.39 | |
| Communist | Arnold James Cox | 1,471 | 4.07 | |
| Communist | Ronald Taylor | 1,436 | 3.98 | |
| Communist | Mavis Taylor | 1,411 | 3.91 | |
| Communist | Alec Ostler | 1,302 | 3.60 | −4.27 |
| Communist | Alison Mary Ostler | 1,266 | 3.50 | |
| Communist | Frank McNulty | 1,170 | 3.24 | |
| Independent | George Alexander Beukes | 1,136 | 3.14 | |
| Independent | Arthur Edward Lyes | 1,002 | 2.77 | |
| Communist | James B. Moses | 644 | 1.78 | |