1959 Hamilton by-election
← 1957 general 2 May 1959 (1959-05-02) 1960 general →
Turnout13,555 (78.40%)
 
Candidate Lance Adams-Schneider Ben Waters
Party National Labour
Popular vote 7,832 4,844
Percentage 57.89 35.81
Member before election

Hilda Ross
National

Elected Member

Lance Adams-Schneider
National

The Hamilton by-election 1959 was a by-election held in the Hamilton electorate in Hamilton in the Waikato during the term of the 32nd New Zealand Parliament, on 2 May 1959.

Background

The by-election was caused by the death of incumbent MP Hilda Ross of the National Party on 6 March 1959.[1] The by-election was won by Lance Adams-Schneider, also of the National Party.[2]

Candidates

Labour

There were two candidates for the Labour Party nomination:[3]

Labour chose Waters as its candidate. Waters had recently been appointed a trustee of the Waikato Savings Bank.[4] Contesting the seat three times prior, he slightly increased Labour share of the vote from 41.63 to 43.16 percent.[5]

National

There were seven candidates for the National Party nomination:[6]

The local National Party members selected Adams-Schneider as candidate for the seat.[7]

Social Credit

Frederick Charles Roberts, a Hamilton businessman, stood as the candidate for the Social Credit Party. In 1957 he stood for Social Credit in the Raglan electorate.[8]

Results

The following table gives the election results:

1959 Hamilton by-election[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
National Lance Adams-Schneider 7,832 57.89
Labour Ben Waters 4,844 35.81 -7.35
Social Credit Frederick Charles Roberts 852 6.30
Majority 2,988 22.09
Informal votes 27 0.20
Turnout 13,555 78.40 -13.87
Registered electors 17,289
National hold Swing

Notes

  1. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 231.
  2. ^ Wilson 1985, p. 179.
  3. ^ "Two Labour Nominees". The Press. Vol. XCVIII, no. 28860. 3 April 1959. p. 12.
  4. ^ "Candidate for Hamilton – Labour Chooses Mr E. A. Waters". The Press. Vol. XCVIII, no. 28862. 6 April 1959. p. 8.
  5. ^ a b Norton 1988, p. 233.
  6. ^ "Seven Seeking National Nomination At Hamilton". The Press. Vol. XCVIII, no. 28855. 28 March 1959. p. 14.
  7. ^ "By-election at Hamilton – National Party Candidate". The Press. Vol. XCVIII, no. 28864. 8 April 1959. p. 14.
  8. ^ "Social Credit Candidate For Hamilton". The Press. Vol. XCVIII, no. 28850. 21 March 1959. p. 7.

References


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