It’s official. There is now a two-way race for the mayoralty of CHB. Incumbent Alex Walker has officially announced her intention to run for another term. She is facing HBRC Councillor Will Foley, a fourth generation farmer from the region. Her announcement follows:
Kia ora Central Hawke’s Bay,
I love Central Hawke’s Bay and the people who call it home. It’s been a huge privilege to serve as your mayor for the past nine years — and I’ve loved every moment of working alongside you to shape the future of this special place.
You know me — I show up. I listen. I bring your voices to the table to make decisions that put our people and our next generations first. I expect a lot from myself, our council, and our community — and I fight hard to make sure Central Hawke’s Bay is heard, whether it’s in our towns, across the region, or on the national stage.
Today, I’m proud to announce that I’m standing again as your mayor in the upcoming local elections. With your support, I’ll keep bringing my energy, experience, and commitment to the job.
Right now, our biggest challenge is how we pay for the infrastructure and services our community needs and deserves — without putting too much strain on local households. The answer isn’t quick fixes or easy slogans. It’s continuing the hard work we’ve already started: making the council more efficient, digging into partnerships, and finding smart, realistic solutions.
I’ve led a council that’s delivered more infrastructure in recent years than ever before — even while we responded to the biggest natural disaster in a generation. We’ve focused on things that matter: clean and reliable water, safe roads, and resilient communities. And at the same time, we’ve completely overhauled the way the council runs — making it more efficient, transparent, and responsive.
It is these strong foundations, and the quiet evolution of right-sizing council that are going to stand us in good stead to navigate the next few years.
I won’t pretend the next steps are going to be easy. Some choices will be tough. And when things feel overwhelming, it’s tempting to pull back and go it alone. But that’s not how we move forward. I’ve led a team that makes the hard decisions when it counts — and always put our community in the drivers’ seat.
You deserve leadership you can count on — someone who’s been there, keeps you involved, understands the challenges, and has the experience to keep delivering through change.
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing more about my vision, and how my detailed knowledge and experience from the past few years can give you confidence in a strong future for our community — all built around partnerships, practical thinking, and doing what’s right for the people of Central Hawke’s Bay.
And finally, I want to encourage everyone to think about who we need around the council table. This time, we’re voting across the whole district — with new at-large councillors, a Māori ward for the first time, and local ward representatives. We need a team that reflects our whole community. So have your say. Stand. Vote. Get involved.
Join me at alexwalker.nz or on social media to learn more or take part in the campaign. Let’s keep building a stronger Central Hawke’s Bay — together.
Nāku iti noa, nā,
Alex Walker
