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Many Coast voters, including Whangaparāoa MP Mark Mitchell, were asking who Nicholas Mitchell is, following the election that saw him almost get onto the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board.
That is because, unlike the others who were elected, he did not actively campaign, relying solely on the information and photo he provided for the election booklet that is sent out with voting papers.
Four members are elected to the Hibiscus subdivision of the local board and Mitchell polled fifth with 5426 votes, 192 behind Jake Law who took the fourth spot. He also came in 385 votes ahead of former local board member Andy Dunn.
The 32-year-old (no relation to Mark Mitchell MP) was born and raised on the Coast and lives in Stillwater with his partner, Laura.
He has a Bachelor of Commerce and a background in finance, planning and strategy.
He stood as an independent and says the election result took him by surprise.
“I decided to stand at the very last minute, just a few days before the cut off,” he says. “I saw publicity that there were not enough candidates in the local election and I thought that was a shame. I took a photo, wrote a blurb and threw my hat in the ring.”
Mitchell is a digital marketing specialist but does not appear to have a big social media profile and says he did not promote his candidacy on those platforms.
He did not put up any billboards, chose not to go in Hibiscus Matters’ election special and did not attend the couple of local Meet the Candidate events.
“I do regret that now,” he says. “At the time I wasn’t sure how much difference those things would make. But if I’d done some of that, I might have squeaked in.”
Mitchell sees the result as “a testament to the people of the Hibiscus Coast who were not influenced by marketing campaigns and billboards, but simply read what was on offer in the booklet and made a decision that way”.
“I hope it encourages others to give it a go next election, because it shows you don’t have to spend a lot of money on a campaign to have a chance,” he says.
He has not decided whether to stand again in three years’ time.
“This experience proved I’m a credible candidate and have something to offer. I really would focus on the things I wrote about in the booklet,” he says.
This included protecting the coastline and green spaces, building effective transport infrastructure, fostering a strong sense of community and supporting the local economy.
“My partner and I love this area and I stood out of a sense of duty. It’s not what everyone wants to do, but I think everyone should take an interest in our government and care that they make good decisions.”
