1944 Lower Hutt mayoral election
# 1944 Lower Hutt mayoral election

The 1944 Lower Hutt mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. The elections were held for the role of Mayor of Lower Hutt plus other local government positions including twelve city councillors, also elected triennially. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.

## Background

The incumbent Mayor, Jack Andrews, sought re-election for a sixth term. Andrews was opposed by Labour Party candidate Percy Dowse, a councillor between 1935 and 1938, who had challenged Andrews in 1938. Taking place during a period of rapid population growth in the area, it was the first election after the addition of the new suburbs of Epuni, Waddington and Naenae.

## Mayoral results

1944 Lower Hutt mayoral election :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Citizens' | Jack Andrews | 5,347 | 59.16 | +0.23 |
| | Labour | Percy Dowse | 3,616 | 40.02 | |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 74 | 0.82 | -0.09 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,731 | 19.15 | +0.38 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 9,037 | 53.15 | +5.46 |

## Councillor results

1944 Lower Hutt local election :

| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Citizens' | Stan Dudding | 5,141 | 56.88 | +1.28 |
| Citizens' | William Gregory | 4,588 | 50.76 | -0.77 |
| Citizens' | Ernst Peterson Hay | 4,564 | 50.50 | -1.32 |
| Citizens' | Herbert Muir | 4,484 | 49.61 | -0.68 |
| Citizens' | Gordon Giesen | 4,391 | 48.58 | -4.53 |
| Citizens' | Frederick Seymour Hewer | 4,390 | 48.57 | -2.89 |
| Labour | Harry Horlor | 4,318 | 47.78 | |
| Citizens' | Eric Rothwell | 4,210 | 46.58 | |
| Citizens' | Frank Lonsdale | 4,127 | 45.66 | |
| Citizens' | John Barker Young | 4,125 | 45.64 | |
| Citizens' | Gordon Hector Phillips | 3,980 | 44.04 | |
| Citizens' | Horace George Lewis | 3,878 | 42.91 | |
| Labour | Bella Logie | 3,859 | 42.70 | +4.70 |
| Labour | David Pritchard | 3,844 | 42.53 | |
| Labour | John Vernon Burton | 3,723 | 41.19 | |
| Citizens' | Arthur John Hyder | 3,714 | 41.09 | |
| Labour | Sam Chesney | 3,692 | 40.85 | |
| Labour | James McDonald | 3,515 | 38.89 | |
| Labour | Frank Hall | 3,502 | 38.75 | -2.40 |
| Labour | James W.R. Gibbons | 3,339 | 36.94 | |
| Labour | Marmaduke McTaggart | 3,257 | 36.04 | |
| Labour | Chen Werry | 3,216 | 35.58 | |
| Labour | Harold Burton Wakerley | 2,999 | 33.18 | |
| Labour | Alfred Robert Darkins | 2,975 | 32.92 | |
| Independent | Norm Croft | 2,664 | 29.47 | |
| Independent | Briton Matthews | 2,002 | 22.15 | |
| Independent | John Bertram Grey | 1,793 | 19.84 | |
| Independent | Aden Seafield Lyons | 680 | 7.52 | |
