Tasmania Council Election Results 2026: Who Was Elected Mayor

By 8:05 pm on Thursday 29 October 2026 in Tasmania (09:05 GMT in the UK), the Tasmanian Electoral Commission (TEC) showed a final mayoral count in all 14 councils that versus predictions cover, with Rick Shegog elected in West Tamar, Matthew Garwood in Launceston, Drew Jenner in Clarence and Sue Hickey in Glenorchy. When we checked the versus pages at 06:06 UK time (GMT) on Friday 30 October 2026, 12 of those 14 predictions showed as settled, while the Kingborough and Latrobe predictions had not settled.

Polling closed at 2 pm on Tuesday 27 October in Tasmania (03:00 GMT), and the TEC's timetable had counting from 9 am on Wednesday 28 October, which was 22:00 GMT on the Tuesday in the UK. Tasmania is 11 hours ahead of the UK at present. Its standard time is UTC plus 10 hours (Standard Time Act 1895), summer time adds one hour (Daylight Saving Act 2007) from the first Sunday in October (Daylight Saving Regulations 2017), and the UK has been on GMT since 25 October (GOV.UK). This guide is for readers in Great Britain.

The new mayors, council by council

Names are spelt as on the TEC's results pages, which we read at about 05:40 GMT on 30 October 2026 (the TEC prints surnames in capitals). Each council name below links to its versus prediction. Eight of the 14 races went to preferences:

• West Tamar: Rick Shegog beat Carl Cooper by 51.82% to 48.18% at the third count, after two exclusions.
• Launceston: Matthew Garwood, with 53.20% at the fifth count after four exclusions; Tim Walker was next on 19.17%.
• Clarence: Drew Jenner. Brendan Blomeley led on first preferences, 9,007 to Jenner's 6,047, but Jenner finished ahead after six exclusions, 51.28% to 48.72%.
• Glenorchy: Sue Hickey, with 51.54% at the fourth count; Russell Yaxley had 30.22%.
• Kingborough: Jo Westwood beat Aldo Antolli by 57.16% to 42.84% at the third count.
• Burnie: Giovanna Simpson beat Chris Lynch by 57.72% to 42.28% after five exclusions.
• Huon Valley: Abby McKibben. Mark Jessop led on first preferences, 3,750 to McKibben's 3,569, but McKibben finished on 5,661 votes to his 5,622 at the third count (50.17% to 49.83%), the closest of the 14 races.
• Waratah-Wynyard: Chloe Foster beat Michael Johnstone by 60.83% to 39.17% at the fourth count.

The other six were decided at the first count, with one candidate taking more than half of the formal votes:

• Devonport: Alison Jarman, 64.89% against Steve Martin.
• Brighton: Leigh Gray, 69.87% against John McMaster.
• Meander Valley: Stephanie Cameron, 63.96% in a field of three.
• Latrobe: Vonette Mead, 53.14% in a field of four.
• Sorell: Janet Gatehouse, 59.59% against Kristian Horvath.
• Central Coast: Cheryl Fuller, 66.77% against Glynn Williams.

Set against the answers, 12 of the 13 predictions that list candidates include the person the TEC shows elected. Latrobe is the exception: Vonette Mead is not one of its three answers. Brighton's prediction was a Yes or No question about Leigh Gray.

Final for mayors, provisional for councillors

Each of the 14 mayoral tables carries the word Final beside the candidate elected. The councillor tables still said on 30 October that all results were provisional and subject to recheck, with a possible result based on roughly 50% of votes counted (60% in Latrobe). Brighton was the exception: its councillor count was marked final at 3:10 pm on Friday 30 October in Tasmania (04:10 GMT), with Leigh Gray among the seven elected.

That count matters for mayors. The TEC's candidate handbook says nobody can take up the office of mayor or deputy mayor without also being elected a councillor, and under section 44 of the Local Government Act 1993 a mayor holds office for four years from the date the certificate of election is issued.

Mayors were chosen by optional preferential voting: if nobody has more than half of the votes still in the count, the candidate with the fewest is excluded and those ballot papers pass on by preference, as the TEC's FAQs explain. The TEC declares nobody elected until counting, two rechecks and the distribution of preferences are complete, and it says media calls of likely outcomes are not official results.

Voting was by post in all 29 councils and compulsory for electors on the State roll; the TEC's election page showed 362,280 postal ballot packs returned, a participation rate of 85.6%. It also said deputy mayor ballot papers were still being counted, and each of the 14 council results pages noted that counting resumed at 9 am on Friday 30 October in Tasmania (22:00 GMT on Thursday).

How the 14 predictions settle

Each prediction turns on who becomes mayor of one council through the election that closed on 27 October 2026; a temporary or interim mayor put in place before the vote does not count (what market resolution means). Agreement among reliable reports decides, and the TEC's official result decides wherever those reports leave doubt. The rules allow until 11:59 pm Eastern time on 31 March 2027 for a result to be known, which is 04:59 BST on Thursday 1 April 2027 in the UK. All 14 had the same end date, 03:59 GMT on Wednesday 28 October 2026 (14:59 in Tasmania). Kingborough's rules add that the winner must go on to take up the office (how to verify market rules).

Dates still to come

• Friday 30 October to Monday 2 November: councillor counting continues on Friday, Saturday and Monday in Tasmania, says the TEC, and its election page on Friday still described deputy mayor ballot papers as being counted. No prediction here asks about either.
• By Tuesday 3 November: the TEC expects final councillor results for all 29 councils, a date it says may change. A mayor must also be elected a councillor, so this count completes each council's result.
• After the count: the certificate of election, which starts the four-year term. The TEC pages we read on 30 October give no date for it, or for swearing-in and first council meetings.

Before you trade

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Frequently asked questions

Who was elected mayor of West Tamar in 2026?

Rick Shegog, according to the TEC's final mayoral count, which he won after preferences with 51.82% to Carl Cooper's 48.18%. To take up the office he must also be elected a councillor; West Tamar's councillor count was still provisional on 30 October.

Are the Tasmanian council election results final?

The TEC marks the mayoral count final in all 14 councils covered here. Councillor results were still provisional on 30 October except in Brighton, and the TEC expects final councillor results for all councils by Tuesday 3 November, a timeframe it says may change.

When do the new mayors take office?

Their four-year term runs from the issue of the certificate of election, under section 44 of the Local Government Act 1993. The TEC pages we read on 30 October 2026 give no date for it.

Where can I see every council's result?

On the TEC's results page, which lists all 29 councils with each count; its times are Tasmanian summer time, 11 hours ahead of the UK.

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