Ahead in the Westland’s mayoral race by 64 votes, Hokitika businesswoman Jacquie Grant say she has the balls to cut rates.
Jacquie Grant is currently leading the tight race for mayor of Westland by just 64 votes, placing her on the brink of making local and national history. If confirmed, she would become New Zealand’s second transgender mayor — following Georgina Beyer, who became the world’s first openly transgender mayor in Carterton three decades ago. (Grant leads against incumbent Helen Lash.)
Speaking to RNZ, Grant acknowledged how unusual her candidacy might seem to some: she noted that being both 82 and transgender is “probably fairly unique.” She added, “Most people my age are getting ready for a ride on the zimmer frame.”
She also reminded voters that what matters now, she believes, isn’t her gender identity but her capacity to lead. “Age is just a number and the transgender thing is really … I think people in Westland are more interested in what’s between my ears than what was between my legs 55 years ago,” she told RNZ.
With provisional results still being finalised and around 400 votes left to count, Grant remains cautiously optimistic. “I believe there were 400 votes left to count, but it’s trending in the right way,” she said.
Grant’s campaign has centred strongly around fiscal restraint. She has pledged to cap rate increases and rein in council spending, arguing that many locals are financially stretched. “They’re suffering, because of the high rates bills, and they want someone who’s got the balls, I guess, to do it,” she told RNZ. She painted a stark picture of hardship in her community: “I’ve got neighbours who are living in one room in winter, because they can’t afford to heat their house … People who own their own homes … they can’t afford to maintain them.”
Her background offers insight into her long-standing commitment to community work. Grant ran a sock shop and museum in Hokitika, known as Sock World, which houses an impressive collection of about 100 historic knitting machines, some dating back to the early 19th century.
She has deep roots in local politics and civic service: she served as a Grey District Councillor from 1998 to 2004, and over the years has held roles such as chairperson of Enterprise Hokitika, and a community representative on Work and Income New Zealand’s Benefit Review Committee.
Her contributions have been formally recognised. In 1998 she was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the LGBTQ+ community, and in 2018 she was promoted to Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit.
Grant’s platform in the 2025 mayoral contest emphasises restoring fiscal discipline. According to her campaign outline, she proposes to introduce a rate increase limit (no higher than 5% or inflation), prioritise core council functions over “nice to haves,” and reduce reliance on external consultants in favour of utilising council staff.
If her lead holds, she would make history not only as one of New Zealand’s oldest serving mayors, but also as a powerful symbol of resilience, representation and change on the West Coast.
