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Kerrin Leoni

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Kerrin Leoni
Auckland Councillor for the Whau ward
In office
28 October 2022 – 31 October 2025
Preceded byTracy Mulholland
Succeeded bySarah Paterson-Hamlin
Personal details
Born1979 or 1980 (age 46–47)
PartyLabour (2020–2026)
Independent (2026– present)
EducationKing's College London

Kerrin Leoni is a New Zealand politician who served as an Auckland Councillor for the Whau ward from 2022 to 2025. She ran unsuccessfully in the 2025 Auckland mayoral election, placing second to incumbent Wayne Brown. She was the Labour Party candidate for the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate, but withdrew two weeks out from the 2026 general election. Leoni subsequently stood as an independent candidate during that election.

Early life

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Leoni is of Māori (Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāi Takoto, and Ngāti Kurī) and European (Italian and Irish) descent.[1] Leoni attended King's College London and received a master’s degree in economics and international politics.[2] Leoni also has a master's degree, completed in 2007, from Auckland University of Technology. Her thesis was on young Māori children leaving foster care in New Zealand.[3] Leoni spent 10 years of her life living in London, where she ran a contracting business and was a member of the cultural group Ngāti Rānana.[4][5] She returned to New Zealand in the mid-2010s.[4]

Political career

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Auckland Council
Years Ward Affiliation
2022–2025 Whau Labour

Local government, 2019–2025

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Leoni was elected to the Waitematā Local Board in 2019 on the City Vision ticket. She served as deputy chair for the first half of the term.[6] On 23 February 2020, Leoni was selected as Labour's candidate for the Waikato electorate for the 2020 election,[7] officially launching her campaign in August.[4] Despite a strong pro-Labour swing, Leoni lost to the incumbent National MP Tim van de Molen.[8] Her list placement of 66th was not high enough to enter parliament.

In the 2022 local body elections, Leoni was elected as a councillor for the Whau ward, after narrowly winning the election from the incumbent councillor Tracy Mulholland. Leoni was the first female Māori councillor to be elected to the Auckland Council.[9][10] She was sworn in alongside the rest of the council on 28 October.[11]

In 2024, Leoni announced that she would run for Mayor of Auckland in the 2025 elections.[2][12] She received 22.16% of the vote, placing second to incumbent mayor Wayne Brown. She did not seek re-election to her council seat, and was succeeded by Sarah Paterson-Hamlin.[13]

2026 general election and withdrawal

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In March 2026 Leoni was selected to be the Labour Party candidate in the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate at the 2026 general election.[14][15][16]

During an election debate hosted by Whakaata Māori (Māori Television) on 21 October 2026, Te Pāti Māori's Tāmaki Makaurau candidate and MP Oriini Kaipara accused Leoni of attending an election hui (meeting) at a Mongrel Mob gang pad the week before. When Leoni denied attending the event, Kaipara pointed out that there was a social media post confirming her presence at that event, which had since been deleted. Leoni and Kaipara were in a tight race for the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate, with the latter leading by two points in a recent Whakaata Māori-Curia poll for that electorate.[17] On 22 October Te Ao Māori News released a video showing Leoni attending a Mongrel Mob gathering on 3 October in Papakura, Auckland. During the visit, she wore Labour campaign branding and urged attendees to vote. During the election debate the previous day, Leoni acknowledged she had relatives who were gang members. In response, Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins said that he accepted Leoni's account that she had not visited the gang pad for electoral campaigning purposes. Hipkins had earlier criticised Green and Te Pāti Māori candidates for meeting with members of the Mongrel Mob.[18] Later that day, Leoni said she had attended a family function with some relatives who were gang members but denied visiting a gang pad during the 2026 election campaign.[19]

On 23 October, National Party MP Paul Goldsmith criticised Leoni for socialising with gang members while wearing a party-branded jacket, saying it was an "appalling look" for the Labour Party and Mongrel Mob to be seen fundraising for each other.[20] That same day, Leoni resigned as a Labour candidate. Despite initially supporting Leoni, Hipkins said that footage of her campaigning alongside gangs was "inconsistent with the standards" expected for Labour candidates. While acknowledging that one could not choose their family, Hipkins said he "firmly believe people should be supported to leave gangs and turn their lives around." Since nominations for the 2026 general election have closed, Leoni's name remains on the ballot, but she is no longer endorsed by the Labour Party.[21] Following her resignation, Leoni issued a statement stating that she had resigned due to the "intense focus on her whanau and community."[22]

On 26 October, Leoni confirmed that she would remain in the Tāmaki Makaurau race but would sit in Parliament as an independent candidate if elected during the 2026 general election.[23]

References

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  1. ↑ "Kerrin Leoni – Candidate for Waikato – NZ Labour Party". New Zealand Labour Party. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Auckland councillor Kerrin Leoni first out of the blocks to express interest in standing for mayor". The New Zealand Herald. 23 October 2024. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  3. ↑ Leoni, Kerrin (2007). Ka tipu mai nga taiohi Māori: a study of taiohi Māori leaving care in New Zealand (Masters thesis). Tuwhera Open Access, Auckland University of Technology. hdl:10292/9708.
  4. 1 2 3 Gullery, Lawrence (2 August 2020). "First-time candidate Kerrin Leoni launches Labour's bid for the Waikato electorate". Stuff. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  5. ↑ Walters, Laura (10 August 2021). "Team of 6 million: How NZ can harness the power of Kiwis living overseas". The Spinoff. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  6. ↑ "Halfway point brings change of Deputy Chair for Waitematā Local Board". Auckland Council. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  7. ↑ "Labour Selects Candidate For Seat That Helen Clark And Jacinda Ardern First Stood In". Scoop. 24 February 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "Official Count Results — Waikato". New Zealand Electoral Commission.
  9. ↑ "Local elections 2022 – Official results" (PDF). Local elections 2022 – Official results. Auckland Council. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  10. ↑ "Auckland's first wāhine Māori councillor wants mana whenua to have more say". Radio New Zealand. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  11. ↑ "Open Agenda". Auckland Council. Archived from the original on 14 January 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  12. ↑ Leatinu'u, Aui'a Vaimaila (19 November 2024). "Kerrin Leoni declares mayoral bid, champions Te Tiriti". Pacific Media Network. Retrieved 13 January 2025.
  13. ↑ Hopkins, Jessica (12 October 2025). "Wayne Brown returns as Auckland mayor, promising transport fixes". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 October 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
  14. ↑ "Labour selects Kerrin Leoni to contest for Tāmaki Makaurau seat". RNZ. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  15. ↑ Los'e, Joseph (23 March 2026). "Labour selects Kerrin Leoni to challenge Oriini Kaipara in Tāmaki Makaurau". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  16. ↑ Dalton-Reedy, Riria (24 March 2026). "Kerrin Leoni to contest Tāmaki Makaurau electorate for Labour". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
  17. ↑ "Kaipara and Leoni clash over gang pad visit in heated debate showdown". Te Ao Māori News. 21 October 2026. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
  18. ↑ "Video shows Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni at Mongrel Mob 'whānau' event". Te Ao Māori News. 22 October 2026. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
  19. ↑ "Labour candidate Kerrin Leoni clarifies whānau function with gang members". RNZ. 22 October 2026. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
  20. ↑ "Election 2026: Paul Goldsmith says Labour 'all over the place' on gangs, Kerrin Leoni had 'choice' to wear party jacket". The New Zealand Herald. 23 October 2026. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
  21. ↑ "Election 2026 live updates: Kerrin Leoni resigns as Labour candidate after campaigning with Mongrel Mob". The New Zealand Herald. 23 October 2026. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
  22. ↑ McCulloch, Craig (23 October 2026). "Kerrin Leoni breaks silence on resignation, says whānau turned into 'political weapon'". RNZ. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
  23. ↑ Kowhai, Te Rina (26 October 2026). "Kerrin Leoni to stand as independent in Tāmaki Makaurau if elected". Te Ao Māori News. Retrieved 25 October 2026.
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