title: Electoral history of Arnold Nordmeyer
text: # Electoral history of Arnold Nordmeyer
  
  This is a summary of the electoral history of Arnold Nordmeyer, Leader of the Labour Party (1963–65) and Member of Parliament for Oamaru (1935–49), Brooklyn (1951–54) & Island Bay (1954–69).
  
  ## Parliamentary elections
  
  ### 1935 election
  
  1935 general election: Oamaru :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 5,296 | 50.93 | |
  | | United | John MacPherson | 4,154 | 39.94 | -1.53 |
  | | Democrat | Herbert Gladstone Hill | 948 | 9.11 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 136 | 1.30 | +0.92 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,142 | 10.98 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,398 | 92.36 | +3.84 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,257 | | |
  
  ### 1938 election
  
  1938 general election: Oamaru :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 5,971 | 53.07 | +3.14 |
  | | National | Michael Francis Edward Cooney | 5,213 | 46.33 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 66 | 0.58 | -0.72 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 758 | 6.73 | -4.25 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 11,250 | 95.33 | +2.97 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,801 | | |
  
  ### 1943 election
  
  1943 general election: Oamaru :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 5,151 | 47.81 | -5.26 |
  | | National | Thomas Ross Beatty | 5,026 | 46.65 | |
  | | Democratic Labour | George Barclay | 339 | 3.14 | |
  | | People's Movement | George Percival Cuttriss | 167 | 1.55 | |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 90 | 0.83 | +0.25 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 125 | 1.16 | -5.57 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,773 | 96.67 | +1.34 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,143 | | |
  
  ### 1946 election
  
  1946 general election: Oamaru :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 7,079 | 50.6 | +2.8 |
  | | National | Thomas Ross Beatty | 6,847 | 49.0 | +2.4 |
  | | Independent Liberal | George Percival Cuttriss | 56 | 0.4 | -1.51 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 53 | 0.3 | -0.5 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 232 | 1.6 | +0.5 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,035 | 94.8 | -1.8 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 14,736 | | |
  
  ### 1949 election
  
  1949 general election: Oamaru :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | National | Thomas Hayman | 7,415 | 54.6 | |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 6,721 | 45.4 | -3.1 |
  | Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 64 | 0.4 | +0.1 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 694 | 5.0 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,950 | 95.0 | +0.2 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 15,658 | | |
  
  ### 1951 by-election
  
  1951 Brooklyn by-election :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 5,287 | 63.56 | |
  | | National | Leonard Theodor Jacobsen | 2,902 | 34.88 | |
  | | Communist | Connie Birchfield | 129 | 1.55 | -0.59 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,385 | 28.67 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,318 | 63.60 | -22.13 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,077 | | |
  | | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
  
  ### 1951 election
  
  1951 general election: Brooklyn :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 6,375 | 58.35 | -5.21 |
  | | National | Charles William Clift | 4,549 | 41.64 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,826 | 16.71 | -11.96 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 10,924 | 83.53 | +19.93 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 13,077 | | |
  
  ### 1954 election
  
  1954 general election: Island Bay :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 8,594 | 58.48 | |
  | | National | John Maurice Whitta | 5,159 | 35.10 | |
  | | Social Credit | Daniel Gardiner | 821 | 5.58 | |
  | | Communist | Ron Smith | 120 | 0.81 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 3,824 | 26.02 | |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,694 | 87.29 | -1.37 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,833 | | |
  
  ### 1957 election
  
  1957 general election: Island Bay :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 9,368 | 61.16 | +2.68 |
  | | National | Saul Goldsmith | 5,159 | 33.68 | |
  | | Social Credit | Eric Elliott | 683 | 4.45 | |
  | | Communist | Ray Nunes | 105 | 0.68 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 4,209 | 27.48 | +1.46 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,315 | 91.20 | +3.91 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,792 | | |
  
  ### 1960 election
  
  1960 general election: Island Bay :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 7,459 | 53.26 | -7.90 |
  | | National | Fairlie Curry | 5,668 | 40.47 | |
  | | Social Credit | John Albert Cameron | 748 | 5.34 | |
  | | Communist | Ron Smith | 128 | 0.91 | |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,791 | 12.79 | -14.69 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 14,003 | 85.96 | -5.24 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 16,290 | | |
  
  ### 1963 election
  
  1963 general election: Island Bay :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 8,372 | 54.96 | +1.70 |
  | | National | Fairlie Curry | 5,984 | 39.28 | -1.19 |
  | | Social Credit | John Albert Cameron | 711 | 4.66 | -0.68 |
  | | Communist | Ron Smith | 164 | 1.07 | +0.16 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,388 | 15.67 | +2.88 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 15,231 | 87.43 | +1.47 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,419 | | |
  
  ### 1966 election
  
  1966 general election: Island Bay :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 7,267 | 53.71 | -1.25 |
  | | National | Saul Goldsmith | 4,461 | 32.97 | |
  | | Social Credit | K A Marshall | 1,487 | 10.99 | |
  | | Democratic | John Albert Cameron | 174 | 1.28 | -3.38 |
  | | Communist | Ron Smith | 139 | 1.02 | -0.05 |
  | Majority | Majority | Majority | 2,806 | 20.74 | +5.07 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 13,528 | 78.89 | -8.54 |
  | Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 17,147 | | |
  
  ## Local elections
  
  ### 1971 civic election
  
  1971 civic elections: Wellington Hospital Board :
  
  | Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - | - |
  | | Labour | Arnold Nordmeyer | 22,915 | 79.31 |
  | | Citizens' | Alan Fraser | 15,610 | 54.03 |
  | | Citizens' | Phoebe Brown | 15,295 | 52.94 |
  | | Citizens' | Malcolm Nicholson | 15,247 | 52.77 |
  | | Citizens' | Gilbert McLean | 13,645 | 47.23 |
  | | Citizens' | Gerald Bridge | 13,530 | 46.83 |
  | | Citizens' | Nancy Horrocks | 12,690 | 43.92 |
  | | Labour | Florence Vincent | 12,606 | 43.63 |
  | | Labour | Warwick McKean | 12,323 | 42.65 |
  | | Labour | June Lewin | 11,174 | 38.67 |
  | | Labour | Stan Rodger | 9,615 | 33.28 |
  | | Labour | Terrence Hayden | 9,575 | 33.14 |
  | | Civic Reform | Catherine Stafford | 3,773 | 13.05 |
  | | Civic Reform | Don McMillan | 3,562 | 12.32 |
  | | Civic Reform | Colin Percy | 1,784 | 6.17 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 28,890 | |
  
  ## Leadership elections
  
  ### 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 | — |
  
  ### 1963 Leadership election
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | Arnold Nordmeyer | 34 | 100.0 |
  | Turnout | Turnout | 34 | — |
  
  ### 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
  
  ### 1940 Party Conference
  
  1940 Presidential election :
  
  | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - |
  | James Roberts | 571 | 58.62% |
  | Gervan McMillan | 320 | 32.85% |
  | Jim Barclay | 48 | 4.92% |
  | Arnold Nordmeyer | 35 | 3.59% |
  
  ### 1948 Party Conference
  
  1948 Presidential election :
  
  | Candidate | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - | - |
  | | James Roberts | 387 | 57.76% |
  | | Arnold Nordmeyer | 252 | 37.61% |
  | | Clyde Carr | 14 | 2.08% |
  | | John Mathison | 14 | 2.08% |
  | Informal | Informal | 3 | 0.44% |
  
  1948 Vice Presidential election :
  
  | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - |
  | Arnold Nordmeyer | 368 | 52.57% |
  | Dick Barter | 124 | 17.71% |
  | Mabel Howard | 77 | 11.00% |
  | Philip Connolly | 44 | 6.28% |
  | Archie Grant | 27 | 3.85% |
  | John Mathison | 23 | 3.28% |
  | Alan Baxter | 18 | 2.57% |
  | Martyn Finlay | 15 | 2.14% |
  | Jim Kent | 4 | 0.57% |
  
  ### 1949 Party Conference
  
  1949 Presidential election :
  
  | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - |
  | James Roberts | 468 | 64.55% |
  | Arnold Nordmeyer | 218 | 30.06% |
  | Mabel Howard | 26 | 3.58% |
  | John Mathison | 13 | 1.79% |
  
  1949 Vice Presidential election :
  
  | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - |
  | Arnold Nordmeyer | 475 | 63.41% |
  | Dick Barter | 101 | 13.48% |
  | Jim Collins | 59 | 7.87% |
  | Philip Connolly | 51 | 6.80% |
  | Martyn Finlay | 31 | 4.13% |
  | Mabel Howard | 22 | 2.93% |
  | Ben Waters | 7 | 0.93% |
  | John Mathison | 3 | 0.40% |
  
  ### 1950 Party Conference
  
  1950 Presidential election :
  
  | Candidate | Votes | % |
  | - | - | - |
  | Arnold Nordmeyer | 458 | 60.02% |
  | James Roberts | 299 | 39.18% |
  | George Manning | 6 | 0.78% |
  