2019 re-election, he appointed second-term councillor Anna Curnow as Deputy Mayor to replace Wethey, partly to bring a gender balance to the KDC leadership. In June 2022, Smith announced he would not be standing for re-election as Kaipara District mayor at the 2022 New Zealand local elections, instead choosing to seek the National Party's nomination for the New Zealand House of Representatives electorate of Northland at the 2023 New Zealand general election. The seat is currently held by Labour Party MP Willow-Jean Prime, who narrowly defeated sitting National MP Matt King by 163 votes in the landslide to Labour that occurred at the 2020 New Zealand general election. References 1970s births Living people Mayors of places in the Northland Region New Zealand National Party politicians People from Dargaville People educated at King's College, Auckland Alumni of the Royal Agricultural University Auckland University of Technology alumni