At 23, Ben Bell became New Zealand's youngest mayor by just 8 votes; after a no-confidence fight, he won re-election in 2025

At 23, Ben Bell entered New Zealand local government with one of the narrowest mayoral victories in recent Gore history. He had defeated six-term incumbent Tracy Hicks by eight votes, a margin so small that the result was challenged in court. A judge later declined Hicks’ request for a recount, confirming Bell as the country’s youngest local body mayor.That first victory was only the beginning of a difficult term. Bell’s relationship with members of the Gore District Council deteriorated, while his working relationship with chief executive Stephen Parry also became strained. Councillors eventually sought his resignation and a no-confidence motion was prepared, although it was not put to a vote.Three years later, Bell returned to the ballot. This time, the result was considerably clearer.An eight-vote margin made Bell mayor at 23The 2022 Gore mayoral contest was unusually close. Bell, standing as the Team Hokonui candidate, received 2,371 votes, while Hicks received 2,363. The eight-vote difference represented only a fraction of the votes cast, as reported by Radio News Zealand (RNZ).Hicks sought a judicial recount, pointing to the number of informal and blank voting papers. The application was considered by District Court Judge J D Kelly, who rejected the request. In his findings, Kelly said the evidence presented did not establish a sufficient basis for ordering a recount.The judge also considered the possible effect of disputed voting papers. Even if certain votes had gone to Hicks, the evidence did not account for the additional votes he would have needed to overturn Bell’s majority. The recount application therefore did not alter the result. Bell could then take up the office formally. At 23, he became New Zealand’s youngest local body mayor.The new mayor arrived with a ‘back to basics’ agendaBell entered the role talking about practical local issues rather than a sweeping programme. His campaign had focused on matters including rural roads, water infrastructure and recycling, alongside his wider call for a return to what he described as the basics of local government.The transition into office was immediate. Before even being sworn in, Bell had official engagements connected with the district, including the first sod-turning for Mercury’s Kaiwera Downs wind farm and the Gore District Community Awards. He also planned to meet council staff and begin briefings with councillors.At the time, Bell spoke about working with the new council as a united group and keeping communication with residents open. The narrow election result had produced a mayor, but it also left him facing the practical task of governing alongside councillors who had not all supported his campaign.Relations inside the council soon became difficultThe problems that followed were not simply about Bell's age or the closeness of his election. His relationship with other elected members became increasingly strained during the first months of his term.By 2023, the dispute had become public. Seven of Gore's 10 councillors asked Bell to resign, saying they had lost confidence in his leadership. The conflict was also intertwined with the deteriorating relationship between Bell and council chief executive Stephen Parry.A proposed vote of no confidence in Bell was ultimately not taken. Instead, councillors agreed to work with Local Government New Zealand on an independent process aimed at rebuilding confidence in the council. Bell supported the amended motion. There were disagreements over governance, communication and the relationship between the mayor and chief executive. At one stage, the mayor and Parry were communicating through an intermediary, while external mediation was used to try to repair the working relationship.The conflict became a defining part of his first termThe turbulence continued to follow Bell into the later part of his first three years in office. In 2024, he acknowledged that he had considered resigning during the period of intense pressure, although he ultimately remained mayor. He said at the time that he did not believe stepping aside was fair to the community.The dispute also led to wider changes within the council. Parry eventually left the chief executive position, and a new chief executive was appointed. Mediation and an independent review were among the measures used as the council attempted to move beyond the breakdown in relationships.By the time the 2025 local elections approached, Bell was seeking another term with a record that was considerably more complicated than the eight-vote victory that had first brought him into office.Bell returned to the ballot in 2025The 2025 mayoral contest gave Gore voters a choice between Bell and former district councillor and businesswoman Nicky Davis. The Gore District Council confirmed the two candidates when nominations closed in August.Bell's first term was a central part of the campaign backdrop. His disagreements with councillors and the former chief executive had received national attention, while Bell himself rejected some of the characterisation of his time in office and defended his record. RNZ reported in July 2025 that he described coverage of his first term as bullying.The election therefore offered a very different measure of support from his first contest. In 2022, Bell had won by eight votes. In 2025, there was no need for a recount application or a legal dispute over a handful of ballots.Bell’s 2025 victory was far wider than his eight-vote win in 2022According to Gore District Council, the final 2025 result showed Bell with 3,392 votes, compared with 1,508 for Davis. One informal voting paper and 90 blank papers were also recorded. Gore District Council declared Bell elected for another three-year term.The result was significant in numerical terms because it bore little resemblance to the razor-thin margin of 2022. Bell secured more than twice as many votes as his opponent in the final count.The council's official figures also recorded voter turnout at 54.82% after special votes were included, the highest turnout recorded for the Gore District's local elections. Bell was 26 by the time of his second election. He remained the youngest mayor in the country, but his position was no longer based on an eight-vote contest.Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.