It’s been a tight race for the Westland mayoralty, with Hokitika businessman Jacquie Grant narrowly leading incumbent Helen Lash by just 64 votes - 1,292 to 1,228. Special votes are still to be counted, but if the margin holds, Grant could soon take the reins as New Zealand’s oldest mayor at 82, and the first transgender one since the late Georgina Beyer.
Grant, who has lived as trans since 1971, isn’t shy about who he is or what he stands for. “I’m an old model, but people don’t care about that, it’s irrelevant in terms of getting the job done, and it’ll be good for tourism. Look what Georgina did for Carterton’s profile,” he said.