2022 Invercargill mayoral election
The 2022 Invercargill mayoral election will take place on 8 October 2022 as part of the New Zealand local elections. Incumbent mayor Tim Shadbolt intends to run for a tenth term. Background. In May 2021, former councillor and 2013 mayoral candidate Lindsay Dow began forming a coalition to defeat Shadbolt. This followed a scandal wherein Shadbolt's driving licence was suspended and deputy mayor Nobby Clark criticized him for not being forthcoming about the reason. Shadbolt has had a history of contentious relationships with his deputy mayors, even making reference to Brutus on two occasions. Several  councillors have expressed concern about Shadbolt's ability to perform his job. An independent report into council dysfunction in November 2020 found Shadbolt's lack of leadership as a key factor. Shadbolt publicly rubbished the report, despite earlier having voted with the council to accept the findings. A follow-up report released in September 2021 noted overall improvement in the council but still dubbed Shadbolt "an unavoidable and inconvenient distraction". An informal poll conducted by the "Otago Daily Times" in August 2021 found that 82% of respondents felt it was time for Shadbolt to resign. Gary Tong, the Mayor of  Southland District, announced his candidacy on 28 October 2021, having decided to run about a year prior. He had informed Shadbolt of his intentions in September.