title: Electoral history of Walter Nash
text: # Electoral history of Walter Nash
  
  This is a summary of the electoral history of Walter Nash, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1957–60), Leader of the Labour Party (1951–63) and Member of Parliament for Hutt (1929–68).
  
  ## Parliamentary elections
  
  ### 1925 election
  
  1925 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Liberal | Thomas Wilford | 6,080 | 58.13 | +16.98 |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 4,286 | 40.98 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 92 | 0.87 | +0.01 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,794 | 17.15 | +8.25 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,458 | 91.04 | -0.17 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,487 | | |
  
  ### 1928 election
  
  1928 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | United | Thomas Wilford | 7,283 | 54.92 | -3.21 |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 5,978 | 45.08 | +4.10 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 288 | 2.13 | +1.26 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,305 | 9.84 | -7.31 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,549 | 90.95 | -0.9 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,898 | | |
  
  ### 1929 by-election
  
  1929 Hutt by-election :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 5,047 | 40.53 | -4.55 |
  | | United | James Kerr | 4,835 | 38.83 | |
  | | Reform | Harold Johnston | 2,570 | 20.64 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 212 | 1.70 | -8.14 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 103 | 0.82 | -1.31 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 12,555 | 84.27 | -6.67 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,898 | | |
  
  Table footnotes:
  
  * ↑ For some biographical details of Kerr refer to his father's article.
  * ↑ For some biographical details of Johnston refer to his father's article.
  
  ### 1931 election
  
  1931 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 9,187 | 59.08 | +18.54 |
  | | United | James Kerr | 6,364 | 40.92 | +2.09 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 116 | 0.74 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,823 | 18.15 | +16.45 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,667 | 86.98 | +3.39 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 18,013 | | |
  
  Table footnotes:
  
  * ↑ For some biographical details of James Kerr refer to his father's article.
  
  ### 1935 election
  
  1935 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 11,873 | 74.25 | +15.17 |
  | | Reform | Victor Jacobsen | 4,116 | 25.74 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 243 | 1.51 | +0.77 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 7,757 | 48.51 | +30.36 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,989 | 89.88 | +2.90 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,788 | | |
  
  ### 1938 election
  
  1938 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 10,687 | 72.84 | -1.41 |
  | | National | Jack Andrews | 3,873 | 26.39 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,814 | 46.44 | +2.07 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 114 | 0.77 | -0.74 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,671 | 95.93 | +6.05 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,292 | | |
  
  ### 1943 election
  
  1943 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 8,823 | 60.87 | +11.97 |
  | | Real Democracy | John H. Hogan | 3,563 | 24.58 | |
  | | National | Norman Percival Croft | 3,017 | 20.81 | |
  | | Democratic Labour | Patrick Connors | 437 | 3.01 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 178 | 1.22 | +0.45 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,260 | 36.29 | -10.15 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,018 | 93.93 | -2.00 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,052 | | |
  
  ### 1946 election
  
  1946 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 8,025 | 58.67 | -2.20 |
  | | National | Jim Vogel | 5,438 | 39.76 | |
  | | Independent Labour | George Laing | 163 | 1.19 | |
  | | World Socialist | Thomas Simpson | 50 | 0.36 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,587 | 18.91 | -17.38 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,676 | 92.80 | -1.13 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,737 | | |
  
  ### 1949 election
  
  1949 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 8,153 | 57.68 | -0.99 |
  | | National | Horace Leonard Heatley | 5,880 | 41.60 | |
  | | World Socialist | Thomas Simpson | 100 | 0.70 | +0.34 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,273 | 16.08 | -2.83 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,133 | 91.29 | -1.51 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,480 | | |
  
  ### 1951 election
  
  1951 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 8,872 | 57.73 | +0.05 |
  | | National | Jack Andrews | 6,424 | 41.80 | |
  | | World Socialist | Thomas Simpson | 71 | 0.46 | -0.24 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,248 | 14.62 | -1.46 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,367 | 89.54 | -1.75 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,161 | | |
  
  ### 1954 election
  
  1954 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 8,371 | 60.26 | +2.53 |
  | | National | Clevedon Costello | 4,690 | 33.76 | |
  | | Social Credit | Terry Maddison | 829 | 5.96 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,681 | 26.50 | +11.88 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,890 | 88.24 | -1.30 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,740 | | |
  
  ### 1957 election
  
  1957 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 8,975 | 62.63 | +2.37 |
  | | National | Lance Adams-Schneider | 4,545 | 31.72 | |
  | | Social Credit | Donald Milne | 808 | 5.63 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,430 | 30.91 | +4.41 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,328 | 93.15 | +4.91 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,381 | | |
  
  ### 1960 election
  
  1960 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 7,614 | 54.26 | -8.37 |
  | | National | George Barker | 5,265 | 37.52 | |
  | | Social Credit | Donald Milne | 997 | 7.10 | +1.47 |
  | | Independent | George Wain | 115 | 0.81 | |
  | | Communist | Ralph Hegman | 40 | 0.28 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,349 | 16.74 | -14.17 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,031 | 89.30 | -3.85 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,712 | | |
  
  ### 1963 election
  
  1963 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 8,865 | 58.61 | +4.35 |
  | | National | Vere Hampson-Tinadale | 5,217 | 34.49 | |
  | | Social Credit | Donald Milne | 972 | 6.42 | -0.68 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,648 | 24.11 | +7.37 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,125 | 89.25 | -0.05 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,945 | | |
  
  ### 1966 election
  
  1966 general election: Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Sir Walter Nash | 7,861 | 51.70 | -6.91 |
  | | National | John Kennedy-Good | 5,912 | 38.88 | |
  | | Social Credit | Christina Dalglish | 1,431 | 9.41 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,949 | 12.81 | -11.30 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,204 | 86.78 | -2.47 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,520 | | |
  
  ## Local elections
  
  ### 1929 local elections
  
  1929 Wellington City mayoral election :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Civic League | George Troup | 14,528 | 60.82 | +6.37 |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 9,142 | 38.27 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 214 | 0.89 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 5,386 | 22.55 | +13.64 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 23,884 | 51.55 | -3.31 |
  
  ### 1933 local elections
  
  Wellington Harbour Board, Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 6,593 | 79.44 |
  | | Labour | Mark Fagan | 3,003 | 36.18 |
  | | Citizens' | Colin Francis Post | 2,546 | 30.67 |
  | | Citizens' | Herbert George Teagle | 2,373 | 28.59 |
  | | Independent | Archibald Walker | 1,888 | 22.74 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 196 | 2.36 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,299 | |
  
  ### 1935 local elections
  
  Wellington Harbour Board, Hutt :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Walter Nash | 8,312 | 81.06 | +1.62 |
  | | Labour | Mark Fagan | 5,498 | 53.61 | +17.43 |
  | | Legion | Jack Andrews | 4,109 | 40.07 | |
  | | Independent | Alexander Anderson | 2,454 | 23.93 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 136 | 1.32 | -1.04 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,254 | | |
  
  ## Leadership elections
  
  ### 1940 Deputy-leadership election
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Walter Nash | 51 | 100.00 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 51 | — |
  
  ### 1951 Leadership election
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Walter Nash | 34 | 100.00 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 34 | — |
  
  ### 1954 Leadership election
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Walter Nash | 17 | 56.67 |
  | | Arnold Nordmeyer | 9 | 30.00 |
  | Abstentions | Abstentions | 4 | 13.33 |
  | Majority | Majority | 6 | 20.00 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 30 | — |
  