Paula Southgate
36th Mayor of Hamilton
Assumed office
24 October 2019 (2019-10-24)
DeputyAngela O'Leary
Preceded byAndrew King
Personal details
Born1963 or 1964 (age 59–60)[1]
SpouseGreg Forsyth
Children3

Paula Anne Southgate[2] is a New Zealand politician. She has held several positions in local government since 2001. In October 2019 she was elected the Mayor of Hamilton[3] and was re-elected in October 2022.[4]

Early life

Southgate was born in 1963 or 1964[1] to Margaret Southgate[5] and attended Hamilton Girls' High School and the University of Waikato.[6] She worked as a teacher, a counsellor in the mental health sector, and served on two school boards of trustees.[7]

Local government

Southgate served as a councillor on the Waikato Regional Council from 2001 to 2016.[6] In 2013 she was elected to be the council chair over Bob Simcock, with the support of eight out of fourteen councillors.[8]

Southgate ran to be mayor of Hamilton and a Hamilton City Councillor in the 2016 local elections but lost to Andrew King. The election was close, with an election-day margin of nine votes reduced to six votes after a judicial recount. However, she was elected as a city councillor from the East ward.[9]

In the 2019 local elections, although Southgate did not run for a councillor position, she did win the mayoralty with 33.74% of the vote and a majority of 3,137 votes over King, who had proposed renaming Hamilton to Kirikiriroa in spite of public opinion.[10] Geoff Taylor was appointed as her deputy mayor.[11]

Southgate sought and won a second mayoral term in the 2022 local elections.[12][13]

Personal life

Southgate is married to Greg Forsyth and has two daughters and a stepson.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 Leaman, Aaron (12 October 2019). "Paula Southgate elected Hamilton's new mayor". Stuff. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  2. ↑ "2019 Elections - Electoral Expenses and Donations Returns - Mayoral Candidates.pdf" (PDF). Hamilton City Council.
  3. ↑ "Paula Southgate is Hamilton's new Mayor" (Press release). Hamilton City Council. 18 October 2019. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  4. ↑ "Paula Southgate Confirmed As Mayor Of Hamilton Kirikiriroa". www.scoop.co.nz. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  5. ↑ Leaman, Aaron (29 September 2016). "Allegations of voting shenanigans sully Hamilton mayoral debate". Stuff. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Councillor Paula Southgate". Hamilton City Council. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019.
  7. ↑ "Southgate enters Hamilton mayoral race". Stuff. 1 July 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2021.
  8. ↑ Leaman, Aaron (1 November 2013). "Paula Southgate secures regional chair". Waikato Times. Stuff. Archived from the original on 23 October 2019.
  9. ↑ "Results". Hamilton City Council. 28 October 2016. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019.
  10. ↑ "Final results". Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  11. ↑ "Hamilton's mayor chooses Geoff Taylor for deputy". Stuff. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  12. ↑ Leaman, Aaron (17 March 2022). "City Hall showdown – Hamilton city councillors reveal their political ambitions". Stuff. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "Declaration of Results of Election" (PDF). www.yourcityelections.co.nz. Hamilton City Council. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
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