title: 1886 Dunedin Central by-election
text: # 1886 Dunedin Central by-election
  
  The 1886 Dunedin Central by-election was a by-election held on 19 October 1886 in the Dunedin Central electorate during the 9th New Zealand Parliament.
  
  The by-election was caused by the death on 1 September of the incumbent MP James Benn Bradshaw. The by-election was won by Thomas Bracken.
  
  William Hutchison who was interested in standing in both Wellington and Dunedin seats, and who had represented Wellington South in parliament was a controversial candidate. There were suggestions that Mr Bracken had agreed to stand down.
  
  ## Results
  
  The following table gives the election result:
  
  1886 Dunedin Central by-election :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Independent | Thomas Bracken | 501 | 59.71 |
  | | Independent | William Hutchison | 255 | 30.39 |
  | | Independent | Charles Robert Chapman | 80 | 9.54 |
  | | Independent | William Darling | 3 | 0.36 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 246 | 29.32 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 8 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 847 | |
  