Phil Mauger has won the Christchurch mayoral race and is on track to be joined by seven new councillors and nine returning councillors.
Mauger, a former councillor and construction company owner, has a narrow majority, leading rival former district health board chief executive David Meates by less than 4000 votes.
Lianne Dalziel - who had been Christchurch mayor since 2013 - ruled out serving another term saying she could not face running another election campaign without her late husband, Rob Davison.
Mauger said he was pleased his messages of regaining people's trust in council and getting things done had resonated with voters.
He acknowledged Meates saying to have someone of his calibre standing for mayor indicated a commitment to local democracy in Christchurch.
"I have consistently said during the campaign that I do not believe there is any place for party politics around the Council table. I promise to be a Mayor who listens to all ideas and works with people to get the best outcomes for our city,'' Mauger said in a statement.
Christchurch City Council said preliminary results are expected to be available from tomorrow.
The current vote count shows Mauger has a narrow majority, with 50,086 votes. His nearest rival, David Meates, received 46,315 votes. The next highest polling mayoral candidate was Mark Chirnside who received 4164 votes.
