title: Electoral history of Norman Kirk
text: # Electoral history of Norman Kirk
  
  This is a summary of the electoral history of Norman Kirk, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1972–74), Leader of the Labour Party (1965–74), Member of Parliament for Lyttelton (1957–69) and later Sydenham (1969–74).
  
  ## Parliamentary elections
  
  ### 1954 election
  
  General election, 1954: Hurunui :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | National | William Gillespie | 6,454 | 52.3 | -8.7 |
  | | Labour | Norman Kirk | 4,059 | 32.9 | |
  | | Social Credit | Laurie Cate | 1,829 | 14.8 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,395 | 19.4 | -2.6 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,524 | 91.8 | +3.9 |
  
  ### 1957 election
  
  General election, 1957: Lyttelton :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Norman Kirk | 8,064 | 48.65 | |
  | | National | Harry Lake | 7,497 | 45.23 | +2.94 |
  | | Social Credit | Wilfrid Owen | 1,014 | 6.11 | -12.21 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 567 | 3.42 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,575 | 94.61 | -3.01 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,519 | | |
  
  ### 1960 election
  
  General election, 1960: Lyttelton :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Norman Kirk | 7,910 | 47.65 | -1.00 |
  | | National | Jim Hay | 7,650 | 46.08 | |
  | | Social Credit | Cliff Munnings | 1,040 | 6.26 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 260 | 1.56 | -1.86 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,600 | 92.68 | -1.93 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,911 | | |
  
  ### 1963 election
  
  General election, 1963: Lyttelton :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Norman Kirk | 9,539 | 54.04 | +6.35 |
  | | National | Tom Flint | 6,862 | 38.87 | |
  | | Social Credit | Cliff Munnings | 1,249 | 7.07 | +0.81 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,677 | 15.16 | +13.60 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,650 | 92.15 | -0.53 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,153 | | |
  
  ### 1966 election
  
  General election, 1966: Lyttelton :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Norman Kirk | 9,045 | 52.00 | -2.04 |
  | | National | Peter de Latour | 6,924 | 39.80 | |
  | | Social Credit | Cliff Munnings | 1,424 | 8.18 | +1.11 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,121 | 12.19 | -2.97 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,393 | 87.64 | -4.51 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,844 | | |
  
  ### 1969 election
  
  General election, 1969: Sydenham :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Norman Kirk | 10,575 | 63.55 | |
  | | National | Peter Morrisey | 4,549 | 27.33 | |
  | | Social Credit | Joe Pounsford | 1,285 | 7.72 | -9.67 |
  | | Independent | Ian Andrew More | 121 | 0.72 | |
  | | Independent | Michael "Tubby" Hansen | 110 | 0.66 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,026 | 36.21 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 16,640 | 86.65 | +3.95 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,203 | | |
  
  ### 1972 election
  
  General election, 1972: Sydenham :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Norman Kirk | 11,711 | 67.45 | +3.90 |
  | | National | John Burn | 4,722 | 27.19 | |
  | | Social Credit | Alan Easterbrook | 758 | 4.36 | |
  | | Independent | Michael "Tubby" Hansen | 67 | 0.38 | -0.28 |
  | | New Democratic | John Bernard Elliot | 62 | 0.35 | |
  | | Independent | Michael Leeman-Smith | 42 | 0.24 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 6,989 | 40.25 | +4.04 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 17,362 | 89.57 | +2.92 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 19,382 | | |
  
  ## Local elections
  
  ### 1953 Kaiapoi mayoral election
  
  Kaiapoi mayoral election, 1953 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Norman Kirk | 621 | 54.86 |
  | | Independent | Owen Hills | 511 | 45.14 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 110 | 9.71 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,132 | |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | |
  
  ### 1956 Kaiapoi mayoral election
  
  Kaiapoi mayoral election, 1956 :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Norman Kirk | Unopposed | | |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
  
  ## Leadership elections
  
  ### 1963 Deputy-leadership election
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Hugh Watt | 17 | 51.5 |
  | | Norman Kirk | 16 | 48.5 |
  | Majority | Majority | 1 | 3.0 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 33 | — |
  
  ### 1965 Leadership election
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Norman Kirk | 25 | 71.4 |
  | | Arnold Nordmeyer | 10 | 28.6 |
  | Majority | Majority | 15 | 42.8 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 35 | — |
  
  ## Party elections
  
  ### 1964 Party Conference
  
  1964 Presidential election :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Norman Kirk | 401 | 70.72% |
  | | Jim Bateman | 166 | 29.28% |
  