Tukituki candidate Kaleb Hawkins pulls out hours before nomination deadline
Independent candidate Kaleb Hawkins has withdrawn from the Tukituki electorate race just hours before the nomination deadline. Hawkins, who has a history of criminal convictions, stated he is stepping down to prioritize the electorate's best interests and will support the Labour candidate.
Why it matters
The withdrawal simplifies the local political landscape in Tukituki and removes a controversial figure from the ballot.
Tukituki independent candidate Kaleb Hawkins has pulled out of the November 7 election.
A Hawke’s Bay election candidate with a chequered past has pulled out of the running hours before the nomination deadline.
Tukituki candidate Kaleb Hawkins had planned to run as an independent in the November 7 election.
But hours before the noon nomination deadline on Thursday, Hawkins said he would be “withdrawing” from the ballot.
In a statement, Hawkins said he entered the race to give Tukituki a voice that answered to “the people of the electorate and nobody else”.
But after asking himself what was best for the area, he decided to step back.
“I would rather be honest with the people who supported me than continue a campaign simply because I want to see my own name on the ballot.”
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in